Envy's Slave
by emeraldeyedirishdaughter
Summary: Milkshakes, Market places, with a helping of slave trade and a dash of green eyed Doctor. It's a recipe for trouble, adventure, heartache and maybe love.
1. Chapter 1

**_Envy's Slave - Pairing of Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler_**

**_Other Characters - Jack Harkness plus a couple of surprise guests later_**

**_Have rated the story M for later chapters._**

**_Disclaimer: The TV show Doctor Who is owned by the BBC and sadly not by me._**

The Doctor and Rose were lying in silence on the Doctor's bed; both awake after a nights slumber. It had become an accepted ritual between them that she would sleep there since the first moment she realised he suffered horrific nightmares of the Time War. Sharing the same bed was simply a reason to give and receive comfort between friends; purely a platonic relationship or so they kept telling themselves.

"Gwilgoloth," uttered the Doctor suddenly breaking the silence.

"What?" replied Rose.

"Gwilgoloth, we will visit there today. The planet boasts some of the best markets in the galaxy. They are well known for providing a variety of rare and beautiful objects; treasures you have only imagined Rose, and I know you will not be able to resist," he finished enticingly.

Rose's curiosity was piqued but she was not fooled for a second. She knew the Doctor fairly well and guessed he had a hidden agenda for suggesting they visit this planet, but, perhaps did not want to worry her.

"Doctor you don't usually like visiting markets unless you are scrounging parts for the TARDIS," she stated.

"Oi, you saying I can't do something nice for you, without there being anything in it for me?" he said, pretending to look offended.

"Doctor....," warned Rose.

"Oh, all right. I've heard rumours that there is some sort of slave trade movement happening on the planet and think we should check it out. But MORE importantly there is this little shop in the market place that sells the absolute best banana milkshakes."

Rose chuckled at his words. Only the Doctor could put the elements of slave trade and banana milkshakes into a sentence together and make it sound normal.

"Aha, so that is why we are really going isn't it Doctor? Not for all that other stuff you said but for the bananas."

"Yeah, course. Bananas are good." he replied with a smirk.

"Oh you think you are so impressive don't you?" she retorted in her own cheeky way.

"Sort of yeah!"

Rose gave an exasperated sigh, then grabbed the nearest pillow and hit him over the head with it. What she did not expect was for him to retaliate with obvious glee. Pretty soon they were engaged in a full on pillow fight, resulting in plenty of laughter and feathers flying everywhere. The mock battle eventually ended after the Doctor gained the upper hand due to his superior strength. Rose found herself on her back with the Doctor half lying on her. He captured her hands with his own, before raising and rendering them immobile above her head.

"Do you yield Rose?" His tone was playful but showed all too well that he knew he held all the aces..

"Never," replied Rose, writhing below him in frustration as she tried to free her hands from his grasp. Her motions stopped however as she saw the grin fade from the Doctor's face and another, deeper emotion took its place; its darkness reflected in his eyes. Her breath hitched as his hungry gaze swept down the length of her, devouring her, in a brief moment of lust. In a flash it was gone and he was smiling down at her once more.

He stood quickly and pulled her up with him. "Come on lazy, time to go exploring. Off you go and get ready. I'll see you in the console room in half an hour and do not be late or I might just leave without you."

Rose laughed. "You and I both know that's an empty threat Doctor. What would you do without me?"

To her complete shock the Doctor answered her in a low but sincere voice. "I don't know Rose and quite honestly, I do not want to find out." He quickly strode into his bathroom, his face red, leaving a very stunned Rose standing stock still in the bedroom.

Knowing time was passing, Rose eventually gathered her thoughts together and made her way to her own bedroom to shower and change. She wondered what her mother would think about her current sleeping arrangements. Probably best not to tell her as the Doctor would probably end up receiving the patented Jackie Tyler slap, even though Rose and he were not having sex: Not that Rose did not want to. Oh, she wanted to all right.

The man had been driving her mad for months now with his longer than necessary hugs, and chaste kisses on her forehead and cheeks. Rose did not begrudge sharing his bed; she knew being with him while he slept kept his nightmares at bay. However, the price of doing so was pure torture in other ways. There was the unavoidable closeness in bed at night. The Doctor would pull her to him; her back against his chest, his strong arms wrapped around her. It was pure bliss but did nothing to alleviate the ache in her heart and body. Occasionally, she would feel his body grow taut and see within his eyes the same yearnings she felt herself, but it was always just a brief glimpse before his countenance would return to normal.

Entering her bathroom, Rose shed her clothing, turned on the shower and let the constant warmth of the water relax her body. Impure thoughts of herself and the Doctor slowly wove their way into her mind. Heat pooled at the apex of her thighs as she thought about what she would like him to do to her or for that matter, what she would like to do to him. Images of them naked filtered through her daydream; their bodies united as one under the shining stars of a planet, it didn't matter where, as long as they were together. She could almost hear their ragged breathing and soft words of love echoing in the silence around her, gradually becoming louder as their desires were acted upon and fulfilled. Her fingers itched to work their way down her body; to touch herself and feel the sweet, sweet release that would temporarily solve the ache within her, but there would not be enough time right now. Even as that thought crossed her mind there was a knock on her bathroom door.

"Rose, we have landed; you ready yet? I said 30 minutes, not 300," he exaggerated.

"Yeah okay, Time Machine remember? Kind of hard to be late for anything," retorted Rose as she dried herself.

Her clothes were on her bed and she wondered if she should give the Doctor some warning that she was coming out. The little devil inside of her decided to be daring, so without issuing an alert, she exited the bathroom wrapped only in the modest bath sheet.

"You afraid that you'll miss out on your banana milkshake Doctor?" questioned Rose, her voice coming out lower and huskier then she intended

The Doctor had been studying some of Rose's souvenirs from their adventures but had turned towards her at her question.

"No, I....," he stated and then spluttered something unintelligible before going red to the points of his ears as he realised her state of undress. Despite his obvious embarrassment his eyes once again held the spark of avarice which made Rose's heart beat double time. For one brief moment she thought he was going to close the distance between them and ravish her, but within moments of that thought he had turned and exited her room, muttering something about waiting for her in the console room. Rose stood, rooted to the spot for several minutes, in confusion, wondering just what exactly had she seen in his eyes, before slowly continuing to get dressed. One thing was for certain: She had a long date tonight with the shower, her imagination and her bed.

'She is trying to kill me,' he thought as he waited for Rose in the console room. The Doctor ran his hands through his short cropped hair in exasperation. He had been around for centuries and knew the ways of the world; knew time, all that was, is and could be, but never in all his 900 years had he ever felt like he did around Rose. His little human companion had the power to bring him to his knees. She protected him from the nightmares but was this golden haired temptress fuelling his passionate dreams?

He could not remember when he first felt the attraction, the need for Rose to be more than just a companion to him. Perhaps it was in Mr Sneed's morgue fighting against the Gelth when it first struck him. Then came Downing Street when he was forced to recognise he could not lose her. But it was in Utah; when he thought her dead, killed by a Dalek, that he stopped fighting against fate, silently accepting and embracing his secret hearts desire. He loved Rose but it was more than that, he was IN love with her and wanted her to the exclusion of almost everything else. It was only his years of experience that enabled him to hide away his intense yearnings and love for Rose; only his skills as a soldier that kept him under control around her, letting him bask in the friendship that they had forged; But it was not enough: The warm invitation of her bared flesh, so beautiful and flushed after her shower, had been temptation incarnate. It had consumed every inch of his will not to just take her.

He shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the seductive images playing through his mind. Rose would be here any minute and he needed to get his body back into some semblance of control, although glancing down at the burgeoning lump in the front of his jeans it was not going to be easy. He sighed and started to work out algorithms and mathematical calculation in his brain. By the time Rose entered the console room he had regained a thin veneer of composure and normalcy.

"You ready then Rose Tyler, for the best banana milkshake you ever tasted?" he said teasingly.

"Hmm, we will see Doctor. I prefer chocolate myself," answered Rose

"Ha, you will be taking that back Rose Tyler; you wait and see," he retorted before taking her hand and leading her out into the warm sunshine of the planet.


	2. Chapter 2

The noise and the enticing aromas of the marketplace hit Rose's senses all at once. Oh how she loved coming to markets like this. The merchants and vendors might sell goods other than those she was used to but underneath it all was a basic connection to home; her old existence before taking the Doctors hand and running with him. As she looked around her she could see that no matter what planet, universe or galaxy one was in, the basic principles of a market place never changed. Rose watched with great interest as beings from a multitude of worlds, races and cultures, roamed the colourful vicinity, exchanging currency for the goods they wanted. She never tired of this kind of adventure; The colour, the atmosphere, the occupants of this market place provided her with educational opportunities far beyond her boring old history lessons at school. She soaked up every ounce of the astonishing sight before her, storing it away in her memory for later. Rose was so wrapped up in the spectacle that she started when the Doctor took her hand.

"So am I good or what?" asked the Doctor in a smug tone, knowing full well that Rose was truly impressed.

"Doctor, it is amazing. You have taken me to markets before but this is incredible." Rose's voice could hardly contain the excitement she felt. "Come on, let's go shopping." Despite his audible groan she tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him along with her to visit the nearest vendors stall.

************************************

Nearly two hours later the Doctor wondered what he had let himself in for. He found himself turned into a pack horse, laden down with shopping bags filled with all kinds of treasures from the Gwilgoloth markets. He sighed heavily to himself; served him right for trying to impress his Rose. _His_ Rose? There it was again, that possessiveness whenever he thought about her. He sighed once more, cursing himself for being such a coward when it came to declaring his feelings for Rose. Despite the rumours of slave trading, the truth was that the trip today was his way of showing Rose just how much he appreciated her being with him.

More importantly he wanted to thank her for chasing away the nightmares he had suffered. He could still recall with perfect clarity the first night she had come to him. She had heard his screams, taken him in her arms and soothed him; like a mother does her frightened child. Afterwards Rose had stayed with him. This young human protected him from the monsters lurking in his psyche and so had begun their unorthodox sleeping arrangements.

Rose's sweet laughter permeated his thoughts, returning him to the present moment. She was engaged in a playful conversation with a young male shopkeeper. It appeared to be innocent enough but for some reason the sight of her flirting with someone other than him made his body temperature increase, his hearts beat erratically and his blood boil. He shifted the shopping bags to one hand before storming over to the stall. Grabbing Rose's hand, he roughly pulled her away, and shot a look of pure venom at the young vendor.

"What the hell ... Doctor, what was all that about?" spluttered Rose, desperately trying to keep her balance as he practically dragged her along behind him. He suddenly stopped and she took one ungainly stride and ran right into his back. He turned around to face her, and she gasped as she encountered the full force of his fierce gaze. His eyes, usually ice blue, were dark and stormy. She could not mistake the emotions that waged war upon indecision within those two orbs.

"Doctor..." whispered Rose again as she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. He started at her touch and blinked. In that moment the darkness in his eyes faded and once more the ice blue returned along with his manic smile and good humour.

"Right, now, you got anymore shopping you want to do?" he questioned, trying to sound casual.

Rose however, was not prepared to let what had just happened be forgotten so easily.

"Doctor! That was rude, pulling me away like that. Besides, I was having fun."

The Doctor's playful grin slipped a little. "Yeah well you can flirt with your pretty boys on your own time," he retorted.

"My own time? Doctor, I was being friendly, that's all. I found something really nice that I wanted to get you and was bartering for it when you interrupted."

"Oh, is that what you call what you were doing?" he growled, his smile all but a shadow.

Rose smiled inwardly. The Doctor was jealous; unbelievably, incredibly but definitely jealous. Still that did not mean he got to act like he did.

"You know what Doctor? I think you are jealous." Rose kept her tone light as she continued, "A little bit of green eyed envy there perhaps?"

"Don't be ridiculous Rose. Time Lords do not suffer from jealousy. It's just another of those base stupid feelings that get in the way; along with all that other sentimental emotional crap you humans seem to favour." Gods, was he lying through his teeth about that but he could not let Rose see the full extent of what she did to him.

"Nope, not jealous, just very thirsty. Time Lord me, not a pack mule. It's time to do what I want and I seem to recall that there is a banana milkshake with my name on it." He grabbed Rose's hand again and she had no choice but to follow as he searched for the shop he was after. Any further discussion about his behaviour was clearly terminated.

A few minutes later they reached a quaint looking cafe with the universally recognised ice cream treat signs on the door. The Doctor went to order two of the famous banana milkshakes while Rose grabbed a carafe of water and cups before taking up position, along with their bags, at a table outside. From here she had a commanding view of the population as they wandered through the bazaar. So absolute was her interest, she failed to notice the two humanoid looking men approach from behind her. One of the beings appeared to over balance as they passed her table and he practically fell into her lap.

"Oh! How clumsy of me. I'm so sorry Miss," apologised the alien as he extracted himself from her lap and stood back up. While Rose's attention was diverted the second being swiftly dropped a clear liquid into Rose's water glass before moving in closer to his companion and adding his sincere apologies. Within minutes they continued on their way leaving Rose alone again at the table, sipping her water, oblivious to what had just occurred. Within moments of their departure the Doctor returned wearing a huge grin and carrying two very large milkshakes.

"Right Rose Tyler, you ready for the most pleasurable experience of your life?" he stated.

Rose ever quick on the uptake replied "You are talking about the milkshakes aren't you, Doctor?"

The Doctor, who had been taking a sip of his drink, could not answer her as he choked on his straw at her question.

Rose grinned evilly at him, took a sip of her milkshake and closed her eyes as the flavour burst over her tongue. This was heavenly. It was so good she finished it all within minutes.

"So, what did you think Rose? Is that, or is that not; the best banana milkshake you've ever had? And does it beat chocolate ones?" teased the Doctor.

"Hmm, well I'll grant you it is the best banana shake I've ever had but I think you'll have to go back in there and buy me a chocolate one so I can compare."

"Rose, you greedy girl. You'll spoil your appetite. Whatever would your mother say?"

"Well probably nothing 'cause if you tell her that _I'll_ tell her about our sleeping arrangements. Who do you think would come out best in _that_ discussion," replied Rose in a very smug tone.

"Rose Tyler, you little blackmailer. You know very well I would do anything rather than confront the wrath of your mother." The Doctor sighed, "Fine one chocolate milkshake coming up." Secretly he didn't really mind. He would have gone back for a second banana milkshake anyway but it had been fun bantering with Rose, even though she had won that round.

While he was gone Rose was forming new questions in her mind about the Doctor's earlier behaviour in the market. He had cut her short back there but she was determined to get some answers out of him on his return.

The Doctor appeared with the promised chocolate drink. For all his teasing he truly wanted to please Rose. In truth he would probably do anything just to see her smile. As he handed her the milkshake he got his wish as her megawatt smile touched his heart; that was reward enough for his little errand.

They sat in silence for a brief time before Rose gathered her courage and targeted the Doctor with her questions about his earlier behaviour.

"Doctor, I need to know something. Earlier when I was talking to that boy and you dragged me away; were you angry with me?" she asked him timidly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I still think you were a bit jealous and acted silly but you don't need to be. We're friends you and me. Yeah?"

The Doctor did not answer her straight away. How could he answer that? Friends? Well yes they were: but then a friend does not usually want to take his companion into an alleyway and shag her rotten against a brick wall; or lie her down in the sweet red grass of his TARDIS Gallifreyan room and make love to her. No, he could not give her the full truth but he could convey a small amount: At least let her know how important it was that she be in his life.

"Oh Rose, I am sorry about earlier." Remorse poured from his voice as he continued,. "Look, you were right when you said I was jealous. You know what my nightmares were about. I lost everything when I ended the Time War Rose; my family, my friends, my people ... all gone. My head was so empty; the silence after years of sharing minds with my race was almost unbearable. After the Time War I finally understood what it was to be completely alone and I was terrified. I wandered for years; wallowing in self pity, doing stupid and desperate things, hoping that I might get myself killed ..."

Rose interrupted his explanation with a soft murmur of horror, her eyes glazed with tears. The Doctor felt his hearts ache at her distress. He took Rose's hand and squeezed it, in a comforting manner, before continuing with his story.

"Upsetting as it may sound, I welcomed Death, Rose. It's not easy to kill a Time Lord. We have a special trick which I will tell you about but not right now." He could see her curiosity was aroused at this turn in the conversation but questions about regeneration would have to wait. There were more important things to be said.

"Rose, if being alone was my worst moment then my best was the day I met you. Something about you made me sit up and take notice; your laughter, your view of life and well, your very impressive 'under seven's' gymnastic skills, made me want to jump back into the game again. Rose, I have had companions before. None of them have ever become what I could call a 'best friend' but it is so much more than that. You've got into my head Rose, I don't know how or why; I mean it shouldn't even be possible but you have. The torturous silence I have borne is finally gone, replaced by your shining presence. I am sorry if I'm possessive or over bearing sometimes but I want you to know that is because I am so frightened of losing you; of losing this connection in my mind. I don't want to think of my life without you now that I'm not alone anymore. You're my friend, my best friend, and I need you," he finished brokenly, hot tears falling down his cheeks and splashing against their joined hands.

Rose gently drew him close to her and using her free arm she wrapped it around his neck, letting him cry into her shoulder. She was reminded of the first night she held him after his nightmares; the overwhelming feeling of protection that had engulfed them both. That same emotion swept through her now and she was elated that she could give this larger than life, Time Lord sanctuary. With him in her arms Rose could sense other deeper, underlying emotions, that the Doctor could not yet admit. It did not matter: He had given her all he could manage for now.

Eventually the Doctor calmed and he moved out of the circle of Rose's arms; his eyes glimmering with unspoken gratitude. He grinned at her appreciatively and she happily matched his smile with her own, underlining her reassurance that everything was okay between them.

"I propose a toast Doctor," said Rose as she raised her milkshake in the air. "A toast! To milkshakes, both banana and chocolate, and to being best friends."

"To milkshakes and best friends," repeated the Doctor clinking his glass against Rose's with clear enthusiasm, so much so that half his banana drink ended up all over his jumper and Rose doubled over with laughter.

In another part of the market place, the two humanoid men that Rose had met earlier, were watching the Doctor and Rose. One glanced at a watch-like device on his wrist before speaking quietly to his partner:

"The drug should take effect soon and then she will be ours."


	3. Chapter 3

Oblivious to the fact they were being observed, the Doctor and Rose finished their second round of milkshakes and were discussing what they should do next. As diverting as the milky treats had been there was still the issue of the rumoured slave trade to investigate.

"Where do you think we should start Doctor?" asked Rose. The markets had been a wonderful interlude but now she was keen on finding adventure.

"Start? What do you mean start?" queried the Doctor in mock offence. "While you've been off shopping for your fancy frippery and your treasured trinkets, I Rose Tyler, have been investigating and looking for clues. Nothing gets past my radar," he boasted.

Rose couldn't resist having a little dig. "So Sherlock, find anything interesting?"

"Hey don't knock Holmes: Mind you, if it hadn't been for me, that Conan Doyle fellow might never have thought up the character at all," he finished smugly.

Rose groaned audibly: Was there any part of the past that the Doctor didn't have a hand in? "I'm sure you'll tell me about it sometime Doctor but in the meantime, did that superior Time Lord brain of yours come up with any brilliant deductions?"

"Of course! It's elementary my dear Ms Tyler and ..."

"Doctor!" exclaimed Rose in exasperation. She was tired of the little game and wanted to get moving.

"Oh all right, spoil my fun," he grumbled. Rose laughed; the Doctor was actually pouting although he changed moods again so fast that she thought she should be suffering from emotional whiplash. She listened intently though as the Doctor continued speaking.

"The locals tell me there have been several mysterious disappearances of tourists lately. The resident law enforcers have plenty of information to substantiate that these kidnappings are unusual; no ransom demands for starters. They believe it's linked to the slave trade but certain factors do not add up. I think ..." He stopped abruptly seeing Rose grimace in pain. "Rose, you okay?" he queried, his voice full of concern.

Rose had in fact been feeling a little queasy for the last few minutes but as the Doctor was talking she felt a strong cramp in her stomach. It wasn't enough to be agonising, but it did hurt. She forced a smile before continuing. "It's okay Doctor, but I think I'll go visit the ladies room."

"You sure you're okay Rose. We could head back to the TARDIS and I can make certain everything is fine," he offered.

Rose got up slowly from the table before answering him. "Nah, it's not that bad really. It'll probably just turn out that you were right and I've overdosed on milkshakes. Just relax; I'll be back in a bit and you can give me the 'I told you so' speech. You get that impressive brain of yours working and figure out a plan to stop the big baddies. When I get back we can go be legends and save the world, yeah?" With no further words, she turned, and walked quickly away from the table so he would not see the second flinch of pain cross her face. It felt like she was being poked hard in the stomach with a big stick.

"That's right, leave me with all the hard work; typical woman," he called after her in a teasing voice. He was a little worried about Rose, but he did as she asked and sat back in his chair, sorting ideas in his head about their first plan of attack. He had been immersed in his thoughts for only a few minutes when two screams, one familiar, one not, sounded from the cafe's amenities behind him. Following closely on the tail of those screams was Rose's voice in his head calling to him in panic.

'DOCTOR, HELP ME!'

His reacted like lightning: Before Rose's voice had even finished sounding in his head, he had jumped up from his seated position at the table, sending his chair crashing back behind him. With equal speed he reached the cafe's toilets and burst into the room with no thoughts of disturbing anyone's privacy; Etiquette had its place but not when Rose was in trouble.

As soon as he entered the facilities he knew she was not there. He could sense the residual energy that had been left behind by a transmat beam. That was good news at least as he could use the sonic screwdriver to trace its destination. A small sob from one of the unlocked cubicles caught his attention. Carefully he opened the door and found a young humanoid woman, at least he thought it was a woman, cowering in the far corner of the stall. She had chocolate brown skin,that appeared to be covered in a light downy fur and her hair was bright purple. Despite the darkness of her skin, he could make out the dramatic swelling on her face where she had obviously been struck. The Doctor slowly extended his hand and laid it on her arm in a comforting gesture.

"It's okay now. You're safe. Whatever frightened you has gone," he insisted in a soothing tone.

The girl's sobbing lessened and she looked up at him, distrust still showing in her remarkable emerald green eyes. However, she took his hand and rose up from the floor. She searched his face again and the distrust faded, replaced by a look of recognition which then gave way to more tears as she spoke to him brokenly.

"Oh no, they took her. Your lady friend, the one you were with, in the cafe courtyard."

Suddenly all gentleness left the Doctor's body and he grabbed the girl by both arms. "How do you know that? Who took her? What happened? You need to tell me everything. I have to get her back!" he demanded harshly. The girl gave a yelp of fright which instantly made him aware that he was hurting her. Cursing himself for his insensitivity he took his hands away from her and backed off, out of her personal space.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice wavering with unspoken emotion. "Please understand that I really need to find my friend. Look, let's go into the cafe. I'll buy you a drink and you can tell me what happened okay?" he coaxed softly.

The girl observed him for several seconds more before nodding her head in agreement. The Doctor offered her his hand which she took and they left the amenities building and headed for the interior of the cafe.

Once inside the Doctor ordered two coffees; or at least what passed for that beverage on this planet. Returning to the table he slid one of the cups towards the girl, who was seated opposite to him. She took it with trembling hands, obviously still very skittish after her recent encounter. Not wanting to frighten her any more, the Doctor spoke softly too her, his Northern accent accentuating the warmth in his voice.

"Here I am, a complete stranger, buying you a drink and I don't even know your name. No manners me sometimes. I'm the Doctor by the way." He held out his hand in a friendly gesture, hoping to calm her down. "If I'm not mistaken, you're from Lythiria, yeah?"

The young woman let go of some of her fear and giggled nervously. Extending her hand she took his in a firm handshake. "I'm Darcia; Darcia Entillan, and yes I'm Lythirian. I'm a freelance journalist; Well sort of..." She trailed off looking a bit embarrassed before continuing. "I'm a trainee and it's my first day. Didn't cope very well did I?" Suddenly she brightened and like any inquisitive person, journalist or not, jumped on the obvious question. "Hang on, you said your name is the Doctor … Really? Not Ian, or Billy or John Smith? Just 'the Doctor'... but Doctor who? "

The Doctor groaned inwardly. Time marched on; he could feel each millisecond as it passed by and he was desperate to find Rose. However, beggars could not be choosers and this woman had information.

"Yes Darcia, that's my name. Just 'the Doctor' okay!" His final word came out as a statement of fact rather than a question, leaving Darcia in no doubt that she should not push any further on the subject.

"Yeah course. Sorry it's in my nature and my job to be curious. I've been watching you and your friend for most of the morning so it's natural to want to know a bit about you."

"You've been watching us? Why?" asked the Doctor with a hint of aggression.

"Well from all the reports I've seen, your lady friend..."

"Rose," broke in the Doctor harshly. "Her name is Rose."

"Right, sorry, your friend Rose," she paused as she took a sip of her drink before continuing, "fits the type of being that the kidnappers fancy most."

The Doctor seized her hand forcefully causing Darcia to almost spill her coffee. "What do you know about the kidnappings? Where is Rose? Tell me!" he pleaded in utter desperation. The next thing he knew was a sharp pain searing across his face as Darcia slapped him with her free hand. He fell back into his chair in complete shock. Okay he probably deserved that but what was it with women and slapping and was it a universal thing?

Darcia glared at him, her eyes blazing. "You finished with the grabbing Doctor? Your Rose is not the only victim. I was assaulted too you know, so sit down, shut up and let a girl talk!" she finished intensely. Seeing the stunned look on his face, she let her anger fade and grinned at him. "Now, that's better."

Quickly Darcia continued, "So like I said, I'm a journalist, even if I am still pretty much a raw recruit but I've read the files and documents on these disappearances and it appears to me that our perpetrators seem to like very beautiful, unusual beings; ones uncommon to this region of space. This Rose of yours, she's completely human yeah?"she questioned.

"Yes. Hang on how did you know?" replied the Doctor who was trying to follow where this was all going.

"Told you, been following you both all morning. Anyway, Rose let slip to more than one vendor that she was from Earth. Isn't that what good journalists do, gather information? Gwilgoloth attracts many species but an honest to God, full human being, is a rarity indeed. I'm thinking that perhaps our kidnappers have some form of technology which allows them to scan their target's DNA; separate the gemstones from the silt, if you want an analogy. In a business like the slave trade Rose's external

appearance would already be a desirable trait but combine that with her being one hundred percent human and that raises the stakes considerably; she would be a very valuable commodity indeed."

"Makes sense,what your saying but can you please stop talking about Rose like she's stocks and bonds?" he growled.

Darcia sighed. "Sorry Doctor, I get a little clinical sometimes. First day remember, lots to learn. She means a lot to you doesn't she?" Darcia finished softly.

"Yeah she does," he admitted almost in a whisper, then focused again on Darcia. "So, tell me what you know ... please," he added seeing the frown on her face at his initial brusque tone of voice.

"You remember I said I was watching you both earlier, right? When you went inside your friend … sorry Rose, was approached by two men: Well they looked male. One tripped over and fell into Roses lap..."

"I leave her alone for five minutes and she had men falling over her...." he remarked sarcastically to himself. "Probably another pretty boy.... Oh ... um... sorry, go on, please," he finished apologetically, realising he had gone off on a tangent and that Darcia was glaring at him.

She muttered something under her breath about 'Men and their short attention spans' before continuing, "I saw the second male make a hurried movement of some kind but I couldn't really see what he did from my vantage point. The whole situation did not last long. The one who fell into Rose appeared to apologise and then they both left. Now here is the interesting part. To anyone else it would look completely innocent but friends and family of the missing victims, also reported similar encounters with two men. So, when Rose left the table to visit the ladies..."

"You thought you'd have a chat with her," finished the Doctor, nodding his head in understanding.

"Exactly Doctor,"

Suddenly Darcia's confidence faded and the pain was back in her eyes again.

"I went in to speak with Rose but she was doubled over in agony." The look of horror on the Doctor's face did not escape her notice. "I tried to help her but she insisted I come to get you. I was just about to leave when a white light suddenly appeared and there before us, emerging from the light were the two guys Rose had encountered earlier. They were definitely humanoid, though their teeth seemed sharper and they appeared to have some form of webbing between their fingers."

Darcia started shaking again with pent up emotion. She folded her arms across her chest but continued to look the Doctor straight in the eyes.

"I tried to help her Doctor … please, you have to know that! Rose couldn't do anything to help herself because she was in so much pain. One of them grabbed her and I tried to tackle him but I had nothing except my bare hands. The other one lashed out at me before I got anywhere near Rose and he punched me once in the stomach, and then twice on my face and then told me if I didn't shut up he'd kill me."

Now her tears did fall as she related to the Doctor how powerless she had been; how guilty she had felt as the bright beam of light reappeared, taking with it the two kidnappers and a semi conscious Rose. "I'm sorry Doctor, so sorry but there was nothing I could do against two of them."

He put his hand on her shoulder in genuine comfort. "It's okay Darcia. You did what you had too to survive and at least you tried, so thank you for that. I'm very grateful you were there though because now I know who to look for. Do you think you could sketch their faces for me?" he asked inquisitively.

Darcia nodded. "Yeah of course Doctor, but how is that going to do any good. None of the other friends and family of the kidnapped victims ever saw these men again. Even the law enforcers could not trace their life signatures. How are you going to be any different?

"Ah Darcia, it's because I am different: No ordinary mortal being me. They picked on the wrong person this time when they stole what is mine ...." He paused, realising the implications of what he had just said and then backtracked a little. "I mean when they stole Rose from me," he finished in a quiet but controlled voice.

"How will you get her back Doctor?" queried Darcia, her voice bristling with excitement. She wanted to help and Hell, there was a really good story here right under her nose, ripe for the taking. She turned to the Doctor and gasped as she saw the intensity and excitement in his face. There was no mistaking those emotions in his next words.

"Just you watch me Darcia Entillan, freelance journalist from the planet Lythiria. I'm going to find out what's happened to Rose, then I'm going to rescue her, and then …Oh yes, after that I'm going to wipe out every last trace of this stinking little slave set up and what's more you're going to help me."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Authors Note: Hi all, I'm back writing this story. Sorry for the delay but my dear beta doctorsdiva could not continue due to bad health and it took me a while to get moving and find a new one. Big thanks to naughtybunny23 for her help. _****_ Thank you to all my readers for your patience. I promise I won't go so long without updating again._**

**_Since it's been over two months here's a little recap: Doctor has taken rose to a market place on the planet Gwilgoloth to enjoy the sites, banana milkshakes and to say thank you for being with him. There are also rumours of slave trade which they plan on investigating. During all this Rose is kidnapped and the Doctor is frantic. He meets Darcia, a fledgling reporter who saw it all happen and the Doctor asks her to help him find Rose._**

**_Chapter four summary: Darcia helps the Doctor but what has happened to Rose?_**

The minute the Doctor stopped speaking Darcia eagerly stated her willingness to help find Rose.

"Count me in, Doctor. What do we do first?"

"Need you to draw that sketch of the two men. While you're creating your masterpiece, I'm going back into the amenities building to trace that transmat beam."

"The what?" queried Darcia.

"Transmat beam," repeated the Doctor. "It's that bright light you saw that brought the two men and then took them away again with Rose."

"So, how are you going to trace it, Doctor?" asked Darcia, extremely intrigued.

"With this, my sonic screwdriver," he exclaimed, holding it up proudly. "Never leave home without it, but …" seeing the questioning look in Darcia's eyes, "save your questions for later because I don't have time to explain it all now. Just trust me, it works."

"Actually, Doctor," giggled Darcia, "I was going to say that you might want to let the cafe owners in on the plan so they know to keep patrons away from the ladies toilets for the moment. I don't need you getting yourself arrested on suspicions of being a public pervert." The incredulous look on the Doctor's face at her words nearly sent her into fits of laughter. It was obvious that such a situation had never crossed his mind. _Just as well I'm around and already proving my worth,_ she thought proudly to herself.

"Ah," voiced the Doctor sheepishly. "Yes … you're right … um, better go and speak to them. You start that drawing," he stated as he backed away from her towards the cafe doors.

"Consider it done," replied Darcia cheekily. Once the Doctor was gone she quickly took out her sketching tools and set to work on the promised picture, thankful that she had taken art as an elective subject at the Lythirian University. Her fingers moved skilfully as she sketched the outlines of her humanoid subjects. Seeing their faces glare up at her from her workbook rekindled a little of her earlier fears but they were quashed rapidly by intense excitement as she remembered the adventure she was now part of. She was just smoothing and blending in the finishing touches when the Doctor returned, his wide smile a clear indication that he had found what he was after. Time to do some planning.

* * *

Rose was drifting in and out of consciousness. Strange thoughts and feelings crossed her mind; things half remembered, strange visions, silly dreams that sought to torment her. Slowly the fog lifted from her addled brain and she remembered the marketplace. With the spark of that first memory all the others came crashing back. Her eyes shot open and there was but one word gasped from her lips: "Doctor!"

She sat up quickly, promptly realising the mistake as dizziness consumed her and she was forced to lie back down again, noting the comfort of the bed and pillow on which she laid. When her mind cleared, she glanced around the well-furnished room, taking in the tasteful décor. Several minutes passed before she attempted to sit up again, this time moving slowly, until she was perched on the side of the bed with her feet on the floor. From this position she observed her surroundings again, likening them very much to being inside an upmarket hotel room.

Rose eventually managed to rise from the bed and further explore the room. There were only two doors; one door led to a rather nice bathroom, which in better circumstances she was sure she would have taken full advantage of. There were no windows in the bathroom but in the bedroom there were two; both were shaded with thick, heavy, blood-red drapes that blocked out the outside world. Rose drew the drapes aside and found the window panes so darkly tinted one could not easily see in or out. Finally she moved towards the other door and was not at all surprised to find it locked. Rose sighed and then smiled. She had been in many prison cells since meeting the Doctor but this one was perhaps the strangest of them all. _Too bad he's not here to share it with me._

She could feel her heart melt as she thought of the Doctor. Even prison cells were easy to cope with when she had his hand to hold or was folded against his chest in those hugs that always promised she would be alright. Rose wondered what he would be thinking right now. _I bet he's frantic that I'm gone. _Their conversation this morning told her he cared a great deal about her and it saddened her greatly to think that her disappearance would be causing him such pain. There was one thought though that brightened her and boosted her sagging courage – he would never give up looking for her.

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by voices coming from outside her door and a key being turned in the lock. She dashed back over to the bed, laid down on her side and pretended to still be unconscious, all the while praying desperately that whoever it was might be fooled and go away again.

The door opened and into the room came the two humanoid men that had abducted Rose earlier. One of them spoke in hushed tones to the other.

"She should be awake by now. Did we overdo the dose?"

The other man shook his head. "No, the drug's effects can vary depending on species. She should come around in a few minutes, if not we'll make her wake up," he threatened. He looked leeringly over at Rose before continuing. "It's a pity the boss picked up on her for his little business. We could have had some fun with her; I'm half tempted to say to hell with it …" He trailed off roughly, not needing to finish the sentence for his accomplice to pick up a similar thought.

Rose viewed them through slitted eyes, fear creeping into her body at the lewd expressions on their faces..She would fight with everything she had if they decided to act on their fantasies, but she knew it would not be enough against two attackers intent on violating her. To her relief they maintained their distance from her bedside and continued talking.

"Come on, Ert, you know it's just a pipe dream," simpered his work partner. "She'll get sold to the richest bidder just like all the other so called 'class' that we procure for his nibs … although, he was pretty excited about this one. I think for a moment he seemed to recognise her."

"Yeah, well Griff, you and I both know we don't get paid to think so let's just get on with the job. Time to wake up our little beauty queen. No doubt she'll mouth off and want to know what the hell's going on just like all the others and won't like the answers when she gets them," said Ert sarcastically.

With that they strode across the room to Rose's bedside. Ert poked her roughly in the middle of her shoulder blades. "Hey you! Wakey wakey princess, beauty sleep is over. Time to face the dragon."

Rose pretended to stretch as she would do any other time upon awakening and opened her eyes. She was thankful that her limited acting skills combined with her very real fear had them fooled into thinking that she really had just woken up to a horrid nightmare. She gave a small scream and followed it up with "Who the hell are you?" in a very frightened voice.

It was with some relief that the smaller of the two aliens answered her. Griff did not leer at her like the larger male.

"It's alright, Miss. We won't hurt you unless you do something stupid, like try to escape, okay?" he assured her in a soft calming voice.

"Okay," agreed Rose nervously. "Where … where am I? What is this place? What do you want with me?" she pleaded breathlessly.

This time Ert answered her questions. "You're here because the boss considers you to be beautiful and therefore a sure money maker. This whole room here -" He stopped momentarily to wave his arm around the room. "- doubles as a viewing room with hidden cameras all around us. Tonight you will be listed on an auction website, to be won by the highest bidder who will decide your future as they see fit. Although ..." The lust was clear in his eyes as he swept his gaze up and down her trembling form. "With a body like yours, I am sure the bidder will be after one thing … "

Rose was relieved when Griff took over the conversation. "Look, Miss, this auction house deals only with very high class clientele. Each and every bidder no matter their race or species is checked out and only the best are allowed to participate. Whoever buys you will ensure you are well treated. It's part of the sale contract."

"Oh," broke in Rose, "that makes me feel so much better about the whole thing." The idea that she should simply accept this pushed away any fear that Rose had previously felt. Now she was angry. "SO, let me get this straight! You drug and abduct me. You take me away from my friend who I am sure is frantically searching for me right now. I'm a prisoner, an item to be sold at auction like on eBay or something? ..."

Suddenly another voice echoed through the room and interrupted her tirade. It seemed to come from a panel near a door that Rose had missed earlier. The voice sounded familiar but she could not place it right now, and it chilled her to the bone.

"EBAY," boomed the voice. "EBAY? Oh, Miss Tyler, that little site is nothing compared to what you are part of now. This auction house caters to bidders from galaxies far beyond your comprehension … but then again perhaps not since you travel with the Doctor, hmm? A pity my boys couldn't take him as well but you'll do. Your face will be shown to beings too numerous to count and I am expecting the final bid for you to be practically priceless. Oh yes, I think you will make me very rich indeed." The voice gave one final laugh and then silence enveloped the room.

Rose leapt off the bed and raced over to the panel. "Who are you?" she called in vain. "How do you know about me and the Doctor?" Silence greeted her questioning outburst, and she turned her anger once more towards her kidnappers.

"I won't do this. If you think I'm just going to sit here and play nice, you've another thing coming. If the bidders want a show. I'll give them one. No one will want me once I'm done. I'll mark myself, make myself ugly to their eyes. I'll rip this place apart with my bare hands if I have to so no one will want me!"

Griff looked set to say something but it was Ert who responded first. He firmly took hold of Rose's chin in his hand forcing her to meet his lust - filled gaze. "Yeah, you do that girl. Go ahead, by all means. At least that would give me a chance to have you instead."

He loosened his grip on her face and Rose pulled away in disgust. She turned to Griff. "What does he mean by that?" she asked shakily.

"If you're not sold here at auction then you get re-listed," answered Griff quietly

"AND …"

"You will be sold as a common slave to the lower classes. Many are sold as sacrificial offerings to soothe some tribe's pagan God. Others are sold to ..."

Griff did not get to finish as once more Ert interrupted. "You get sold to satisfy the appetites of someone like me," he finished, ogling her once more. "SO ... go on, girl, I'm rather hoping you do behave like a little hellcat. I'd take pleasure in breaking you."

"Ert," admonished Griff. "That's enough. You've had your fun." He watched Ert walk away from Rose with obviously regretful steps. "In the cupboard in the bathroom you will find a white robe. You will remove all clothing apart from your underwear and put that on." Rose opened her mouth to protest but thought better of it.

Griff ignored her attempt at protest and continued talking. "As you can see, you've been provided with a comfortable room. Decent meals will be served to you at appropriate times and you may rest if you need to. The online auction starts in approximately 2 hours and will run for 24 hours. We will only disturb you again if there is a local buyer who wants to inspect … um … the goods, so to speak and buy you outright." He finished, looking at her a little nervously.

"WHAT?" bellowed Rose, her eyes burning in rage again. What do you mean inspect the goods? If you think I'm getting my kit off so some pervert can get an eyeful ..."

"You'll have to do it when they buy you," broke in Ert rudely from the door.

"Shut up, Ert," yelled Griff. He turned back to Rose, bearing a somewhat impatient expression on his face. "Look there's no point in getting upset about this. There will be some touching but not in inappropriate places and I assure you no one will be allowed to take advantage of you. That's of course assuming you do have anyone come to inspect. It rarely happens. Now be a good girl and do what you're told. We're going now and you'll probably not see us again." Griff's face softened for a moment. "Good luck, Miss," he murmured before following Ert out of the room.

Rose did not move. She heard the lock turn and knew there was no escape. They were still talking outside her room and she strove to listen in case it should be something important.

"Sometimes Ert, you are just too much. I wonder why I keep working with you?" growled Griff, obviously exasperated.

"Aww come on; I was just having some fun. Look let's go back to that cafe and have a drink to say sorry, hey?" said Ert trying to wiggle his way back into Griff's good graces.

"Do you think that's a good idea, Ert? What if that guy she was with is still around or that woman that you hit? I always tell you 'no violence' but you never listen."

Ert whined. "She hit me first, remember? Look they won't be there. They would have gone off screaming to law enforcement by now, who would have done a search, found nothing like usual and taken them down to the station to file a missing persons report. Besides you know no one can see us if we transmat to the storage cupboard. We can nick the ingredients for the milkshakes and be back here in no time. Come on, Griff, we've done it heaps of times after a job goes down and never had a problem.

"Yeah, alright," agreed Griff not very convincingly. He had this gut feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Rose heard them go before wearily sinking down onto the carpeted floor. Now she knew the worst of it. The familiar voice from earlier still tormented her but she tried not to let her fears overwhelm her. She had two things on her side. For the moment she had time. Over 24 hours probably, barring any local bidders buying her outright. The other thing that was by far the most important was that the Doctor would be searching for her and when faced with a challenge such as this, nothing and no one would stop him.

_Find me Doctor, please find me_.

She prayed that by some miracle he might hear her.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Thanks again to naughtybunny23 over at LJ for the beta and big thanks to those who have left me reviews on this story so far. I truely appreciate it._**

**_Chapter 5 summary: The Doctor and Darcia search for Rose but Darcia throws in a surprise of her own. _**

The longer Darcia spent in the Doctors company, the more she realised that this was a man on a mission. His eyes glittered with steely determination and there was not a hint of doubt. When he had returned from the amenities block a few moments earlier he was smiling like a little boy at Mistlemas (the Lythirian version of Christmas). Finding the transmat's base destination was, in his words, 'a piece of cake.' Working out a plan to get in and rescue Rose however was proving to be a much harder task. Fortunately Darcia had an idea of her own to help out there, that is if she could get the Doctor to stop talking and let her get a word in edgewise.

"It's easy to find the place," muttered the Doctor almost to himself. "The signal comes from someplace that's about half a kilometre from where we are. The most obvious buildings within that range are the temple, the sports complex and that swanky hotel -"

"Doctor," interrupted Darcia but the Doctor continued with his monologue as if he had not heard her.

"Now me being brilliant would deduct that they wouldn't take her to the temple 'cause it's not about sacrifices or the like. Hardly think the sports complex would be useful either so it's got to be the hotel," he reasoned smugly. "But how to get in?"

"We use the front door," replied Darcia a little more forcibly.

The Doctor looked at her like she had dribbled on her shirt before responding tartly. "Don't be stupid, they're not going to just let me in. They know what I look like, for Rassilon's sake! What am I going to do? Go up, and say 'Hello, I'm the Doctor. I understand you've got my friend Rose here and I want her back, thanks very much, tah'" he finished bitterly.

Darcia laughed softly. "Sounds good to me except for the saying who you are and asking for Rose back." Suddenly her smile faded and she gazed at him seriously. "Doctor, how much do you know about my race?"

"Mmm, not a lot; never been there but studied the basics at the Academy of a lot of different cultures including Lythiria. Why?" he questioned sharply.

"Like many races there are amongst them old and ancient families whose ancestry stretches back uncountable years. Along with that history and heritage are whispers of a family gift that also comes and goes through the passing of the years. A gift that sometimes skips total generations and then suddenly is bestowed on two or three individuals in a row." Darcia paused briefly before continuing almost reverently. "This gift only affects the females of our species. The last person to have it in my family was my great-great-great grandmother. There was no one else until my sister and I were born and with our arrival into this world so returned our family gift," she finished softly.

"Okay, that's lovely and all that," growled the Doctor impatiently, "but what the hell are you talking about? What is this gift that's going to help us?"

Darcia glanced around the cafe and sighed with relief. Due to the perfect day outside there were no other patrons inside the shop at that moment; the owners were out of sight so it appeared safe to demonstrate her intentions and, she thought with a smile, shock the hell out of this slightly full of himself Doctor.

"Close your eyes, please," she instructed him. He did so but unwillingly. The minute he did Darcia closed her own eyes and formed a picture of herself in her mind. If anyone had been there to see what was happening then they would have noticed that the purple haired, brown - skinned girl was slowly transforming into an entirely different looking being.

"You can open your eyes now," whispered Darcia, a huge smile plastered on her new face.

To say that the Doctor's countenance looked shocked was an understatement. He opened his mouth to say something then abruptly shut it again, speech not forthcoming. This new woman before him had ginger hair swept up into a loose bun; her skin was almost pale white and her eyes were no longer emerald green but drifted towards hazel in colour. Even her outfit was different.

"Doctor, are you okay?" asked Darcia with some concern.

The Doctor looked at her long and hard before finally speaking. "No Darcia, I'm not. I've always rebelled against my race calling them pompous and arrogant and here I am acting in the exact same way. Guess when you're a Time Lord you can't get away from it." He muttered the last part almost to himself but Darcia heard it and gasped out loud.

"Time Lord, you're a Time Lord? But ... but they're just a myth. I came across a mention of your race once, in a library book at the University. It was mostly a story, a legend about a master race called the Time Lords who lived on a planet called Gallixfree or Galliplay or …" She trailed off.

"Gallifrey, Darcia. My planet was called Gallifrey," he finished sadly.

"Was?" queried Darcia but the Doctor interrupted her before she could question him further.

"Yeah. Look it's a story for another time, okay? The plan now is to go in and rescue Rose, break up this slave market and you get your story. Listen to me though because this is very important. When you write your story you cannot refer to me as the Doctor or as a Time Lord or use Rose's real name. There may be other things along the way that you will have to censor. I know that goes against the grain for a journalist but you have to understand that the whole of creation could be at stake if the universes became aware of who I am. I need to go about unnoticed. Are we clear?" He paused after the question. When she did not reply straight away he repeated the question with slightly more force. "Darcia, are we clear?"

"Yes, Doctor," she replied but the disappointment was evident in her voice. "I agree to leave out certain information as instructed by you."

"Good girl," he praised gently touching her arm to show his appreciation. "Now can I say how brilliant you are? How … how in the universe did you do that?" he asked in complete astonishment.

"Told you, it's the family gift. Can't really explain it except to say that all I have to do is form a picture in my mind of what I want to look like and it happens. I can hold this form for around 24 hours although with practice I should eventually be able to keep a new shape for up to 3 days. It will be very useful in my particular field of work. But...." she trailed off smirking broadly.

"But what?"

"Well the best bit of this gift is that not only can I camouflage myself but I can also extend my gift to cover one other person." Darcia paused briefly, watching the Doctor's face for his reaction. "So, what do you think about that, Doctor?"

"FANTASTIC!" shouted the Doctor in elation. He placed both hands on her shoulders, leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "You, Darcia Entillan, are absolutely fantastic. So glad I met you." As those words left his lips he suddenly came crashing back down to reality, remembering saying those same words not all too long ago to his precious Rose down in a Cardiff cellar.

As that memory flashed across his Time Lord brain he felt a sudden tug deep within his psyche. At first he did not realise what it was but when it happened again, he was hit with sudden understanding – Rose was trying to contact him. He had told her in their conversation earlier today that he could hear her, feel her presence in his mind. Sadly it was only when they were close that he could hear her voice; right now she was too far apart from him to make contact other than the slight pull he was now feeling. Its presence though was comforting as he knew it meant that she was thinking of him, relying on him to come rescue her. They had been apart for only a couple of hours but already his hand was missing hers, his heart aching for her company.

"Hey, Doctor," broke in Darcia firmly. "You still with me? You sort of looked like you were far away for a while."

"Mmm, sorry, yeah, was thinking … I mean I was hoping Rose was okay," he replied wistfully but then with a whirlwind change of mood he turned his attention back to Darcia's gift again. "You say you can extend your gift to someone else, right?"

"Yep", confirmed Darcia. "But doubling the images means halving the holding time, so instead of one image for 24 hours, we now have two images for twelve hours each. It also means that you need to stay within a three metre radius of me at all times for me to maintain the shield. If you go beyond that then I cannot hold your form and you will change back to your real self."

"Right, got it," confirmed the Doctor excitedly. He clapped his hands, "So we find somewhere private and you do your camouflage thing on me and then we go surprise the neighbours, well the hotel ones at least," he ended with a grin.

"Hold up one minute. What do we do when we get there?" asked Darcia with some uncertainty in her voice.

"Well, sort of thought I'd make that up on the way, but generally I'll try persuading them first -"

"- Persuade, ah ... okay?" came Darcia's abrupt reply. "Um, shouldn't you bring a weapon or something?

The Doctor looked disgusted. "What is it with the universal love of arms? Horrible things weapons are; only gets the bearer in trouble. Nah, no need for violence. I'm a great negotiator; just use my Northern charm and well, if they give me trouble there's always the sonic screwdriver." At he mentioned the tool he pulled it from his pocket.

Darcia shrugged her shoulders in disbelief, sighed, then laughed. "Is it always like this with you, Doctor - dangerous and a little bit mad?"

He turned and grinned at her. "Oh yes, and that's what makes it so much fun. Suddenly the grin faded, replaced by a look of complete concentration. "Enough!" he spoke out loudly. "Time to find my Rose!" Without further words, he switched on the sonic screwdriver ready to follow the transmat signal that he had traced earlier. He had just reached the front door with Darcia in tow when the screwdriver went crazy and a dark look settled over the Doctors face.

"What is it?" whispered Darcia fearfully.

"They're here!" He replied harshly. The screwdriver has picked up their transmat signal. They're here in the cafe somewhere … no wait …" He moved towards the front counter and the signal grew louder. He turned to Darcia and laughed harshly. "It appears that our kidnappers aren't so smart after all. Perhaps they have a fondness for banana milkshakes because they've just transmatted themselves into the cafe's storage area."

"So what do we do now?" queried Darcia. She felt her insides churning and shivers of fear and excitement coursing down her back. "Do you need me to change you before we face them?"

"No, I won't need to do that now. I already have the element of surprise. So like I said earlier, Darcia … we persuade them." This time however there was no joking in his words.

A short exchange and flash of the psychic paper was enough for the shop owner to let them pass and approach the storage area door. The Doctor set his sonic screwdriver to a setting that would jam the transmat beams co-ordinates, rendering it useless, so the men could not escape.

"Darcia, do you have a recording device on you?" murmured the Doctor.

It was her turn to look at the Doctor like he had said something completely stupid. She rolled her eyes and responded back in a hushed tone. "Duh, journalist, remember?" and produced a tiny brooch like item that doubled as a camera and video recorder. In one quick moment she had it primed and ready to go. It was an unobtrusive piece of technology that pinned onto her shirt. A pretty piece for all to see but leaving none the wiser of its true nature which, after all, was the whole point of it.

"Now stay behind me, Darcia, but try to record as much as you can. You'll be needing it as evidence when we hand these two over to the local law enforcement." The Doctor turned to her and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you by the way," he smiled at her warmly but before she could reply he spoke again, firmly and with full intent in his voice, "Let's do it."

He flung open the storage room door, surprising the two men inside. One of them immediately moved to initiate the transmat beam but that idea was soon cut short by the Doctor jamming the signal with the sonic screwdriver. After realising that they were stuck, the larger man rushed towards the Doctor fully intent on engaging him in physical combat. Before he could reach him the doctor again adjusted the settings on the screwdriver and used it to unscrew the bolts on some shelving which then came crashing down onto his would be assailant rendering him unconscious. The smaller male backed away from the Doctor, his eyes broadcasting his utmost fear and defeat.

"Right," uttered the Doctor in a harsh, no nonsense tone. "Now that I have your attention. You stole someone important from me. You get one chance … just one, to do the right thing. Give her back to me!"


	6. Chapter 6

**_Authors Note: I'm so sorry my dear readers. It's been three months since I last updated this story. Real Life has not been kind to either myself or my dear beta naughtybunny23 so writing and reviewing had to be put on hold. Things are a lot better now so I hope that I can back on tractk soon. In the meantime here is the next chapter with promises to bring you chapter seven as soon as I can._**

_End of chapter five: You get one chance … just one, to do the right thing. Give her back to me!"_

An ominous silence filled the air after the Doctor's ultimatum.

Ert was still out cold on the storage room floor while Griff appeared too terrified to speak a single word.

"Well?" asked the Doctor tersely.

Griff gulped in a mouthful of much needed air. "I can't," he finally replied.

The Doctor's mood, already stormy, darkened even further. He took a few steps towards the frightened man. "Wrong answer. Do it again and you'll find out what I am really capable of."

"No, No. You don't understand," pleaded Griff, his voice a few octaves higher than normal. "I really can't … please let me explain."

Verging on irrational thought, the Doctor did not hear the man's plea. No one had the right to keep him from Rose and anyone who did so would pay the consequences. He moved closer to Griff, intent on carrying out his previous threat. Suddenly through the anger he felt an insistent tugging on his arm that breached his yearning for revenge. Turning around he saw Darcia, a plea falling from her lips. The storm in his mind prevented him from hearing what she said but it was the look of terror on her face that stilled the tempest inside him and slowly pulled him back to sanity.

Her frightened pleas rang in his ears. "Doctor, stop this now, you're scaring me half to death. Rose, remember Rose. She wouldn't want you to do this, to hurt someone. She wouldn't want you doing something you'd regret later on."

At the mention of his beloved's name the Doctor raggedly gathered together the remnants of his self control and slowly but surely forced the savage fury from his mind. Once rational thought was his again he turned his focus towards Darcia, his unspoken apology evident in his eyes.

"All right, Doctor?"

"Yeah, I'm all right," he grunted and that was the end of that. No further explanation was given; instead he shifted his attention back to Griff who still looked as if he would die of fright at any given moment.

"Okay," he began in a controlled manner. "Talk, and make it quick. Why can't you get Rose back for me?

Griff, realising that for the moment he was no longer in immediate mortal danger, attempted to compose himself and answer the question directed to him by this man who called himself the Doctor.

"Right, the quick version," he started, words falling over each other. "Rose has been put up for auction. I can't get her back because she's got a 'chip' inside her that if not deactivated can be programmed to cause her pain or even kill her. Me and Ert, we're just procurers in this auction business so have no chance in hell of accessing the security codes to shut down the chip but –" seeing the intense frown on the Doctor's face he quickly added, "- I can still help."

While the exchange between the Doctor and Griff was occurring, Darcia kept her eye on Ert. Looking around the storage room she eventually found a decent length of rope which she promptly used to tie up the inert body of the thug on the floor. Considering the bruises he had left on her earlier, he was very lucky that she did not cut off his circulation. She had just finished when he let out a loud groan, followed by a few choice swear words upon discovering he could not move.

His little temper tantrum caught the Doctor's attention. "Ah, so you're awake and I see my friend has taken the initiative to immobilise you. The authorities will be alerted soon. Your days of kidnapping and hitting defenceless woman are over. You can think about that while you're serving your sentence out on one of the less civilised penal stations.

At the Doctor's words a few more expletives fell from Ert's lips until Darcia found a wad of material and shoved it into the man's mouth, an action that prompted a brief chuckle from the Doctor before his face became serious once more as he directed his attentions towards Griff again.

"And you, what makes you think I want or need your help? Quite the genius me, capable of solving most problems given time."

"Yeah, well time is something you don't have a lot of here. The auction would have started by now which means you've got less than twenty-four hours to save your friend. The place is loaded with intricate security and well guarded." Griff paused for a moment, feeling rather smug. "The only way you're going to get Miss Tyler back is to buy her yourself and you can't do that without me."

"Why?" broke in Darcia. "Why do you want to help and how do we know you won't betray us?"

The smug expression faded from Griff's face and was replaced by look of sadness. He sighed heavily.

"I have a daughter," he said eventually. "Truthfully, I hated this job and what I had to do, but it was a job and it paid good money. Meant that I could keep my daughter and we could be together."

"And what about all those families whom you've torn apart by kidnapping their loved ones?" growled the Doctor.

Griff bowed his head, his countenance flushed with shame. "I know. I was getting out of the job soon. I sent my resignation to the main office last week." He stopped and looked at Ert, mumbling an apology. "Sorry, Ert, but you and I were never going to last long as partners. You're too violent for my taste."

He turned back towards the Doctor and continued speaking. "It doesn't excuse what I did but I tell you now I would do it again if it meant keeping my daughter with me. I couldn't bear to lose her. She's everything to me."

The Doctor appeared to be undecided about the course of action he should take. Everything in him was shouting to turn Griff over to the local law enforcement, not to listen to his personal pleas. Yet on the other hand there was that tiny, tiny voice ringing out from the depth of his soul reminding him of the agony he had felt when he lost everything and how he had continued to feel until he met Rose.

"Doctor," whispered Darcia as she laid her hand on his arm. "I think we should let him help us."

He sighed. If the time constraints were as short as Griff had mentioned then help from any quarter should not be wasted. With eyes as hard as steel, he faced the other man.

"You will be held accountable for your actions **but** if you help me get Rose back, I'll arrange it so that your sentence can be served here on Gwilgoloth. In return for being able to see your daughter, you agree to help the authorities track down as many of the other kidnapped auction victims as possible. **However**," he declared coldly, "if you betray us, the ends of the universe will not be far enough for you to outrun me."

Griff gulped audibly, knowing that the Doctor's words were no empty threat. He was without any doubt being absolutely sincere. "I won't betray you," he promised.

"Good, we have a deal then; now tell me more about this chip. How did it get into Rose's body?"

"The drug we laced her drink with does two jobs. One, it knocks her out and two, it contains a combination of intelligent life forms that the brain boxes in the labs call nanites When these nanites reach the abdomen they apparently solidify into something very similar to a living microchip. This 'chip' stays in the person until they are sold. Once payment has been made the chip can be deactivated using the correct security coding. Once that is done the subject's body will flush the defunct nanites out by normal means."

"What happens if the usual course of events doesn't play out?" questioned Darcia.

Griff continued his explanation. "If an auction subject escapes or an attempt at rescue is discovered then the 'chip' can be programmed to attack the body's support systems. This would result in severe pain and possibly even death."

The Doctor scowled. "If that happens to her, then there will be hell to pay."

Griff could well believe it. "If you let me take you through the proper channels, Doctor, then nothing should happen to Rose but there is one more thing you should know. Ert and me have never met our boss so I don't know who he is but he appears to know who you and Rose are."

The Doctor's head shot up. "What? How do you know this?"

"Um … well, when we," said Griff, gesturing to himself and Ert, "went to check up on Rose earlier, she got a bit upset at her predicament and said her piece. The boss was listening in another room but he spoke to her over the intercom, indicating that he knew her and you. Said it was a pity we didn't capture you, too…" he trailed off seeing the anger in the other man's eyes.

"So, this is personal," uttered the Doctor, his voice hard as nails. "Fine, we'll play his game for now but –" He turned to Darcia as he spoke again. "I think it's time to put that gift of yours to good use. If I'm supposed to be a prospective buyer then I can't go in looking like myself. Can you change me?"

Darcia nodded and smiled. "No problem. Any preference on hair and eye colour?" she joked, trying to get him to relax a little.

Her question melted his iciness a fraction as a ghost of a smile played upon his lips. "Yeah," he said, thinking of Rose's beautiful brown eyes. "Brown eyes and can I be ginger? Always wanted to have ginger hair." As an afterthought he added, "er, and slightly smaller ears would be good."

A little giggle lifted from Darcia's throat. "Easy, Doctor. Would you like a smaller nose as well?"

"Oi, nothing wrong with my nose." However this time his smile was genuine.

Their discussion was interrupted by Griff who was completely baffled by their strange conversation. "What on earth are you two talking about? If we're going to do this then you need to hurry. If another local bidder decides to buy Rose outright then you will never get her back."

The Doctor focused his attention back on Griff. "I'll need a disguise so I won't be recognised. My friend here has a very special gift of her own." To Darcia he nodded before continuing. "It's okay, Darcia, show him who you really are."

To Griff's shock and surprise the woman in front of him slowly transformed her whole image until once again the brown skinned purple haired female he had first seen in the ladies amenities was revealed.

"In all my born days…" he began. "I guess I should apologise …"

"Don't," broke in Darcia hotly. "Save your sorry's for Rose and all those other people you kidnapped. Besides you didn't hit me, he did," she said as she gestured to Ert still tied up on the floor.

"It's time," remarked the Doctor. "I'm going to talk to the café owner for a moment and have him lock this storage area so our friend over there can't escape. Once that's done I want you, Darcia to change your appearance again and then work your magic on me. Griff, once we've changed, you'll take us to the auction house and introduce us as interested buyers. Do whatever you have to but I want to see Rose and make sure she is safe. Understand?"

Griff nodded. "Yeah, I understand.

The Doctor regarded the other man for a full minute praying that he had not made a huge error. Finally, he spoke again. "Right, let's do it."

Approximately fifteen minutes later Darcia emerged from the café's amenities block with a completely new image. She now sported flaming red hair, and had changed the shape of her eyes but kept the colour emerald green. She was slightly taller then before but now wore a crisp white blouse and summery green skirt. Affixed to the blouse was a similar pin like she had worn earlier, ready to capture the events to come.

She made her way to a shadowed alleyway between the café and another building where the Doctor and Griff waited. Turning to the Doctor she asked him if he was ready.

"Yes, let's get it done," he replied.

"Okay, well it's best if you close your eyes. I've got to form an image of you in my mind as you are now and then slowly change your features starting from your hair downwards."

As the Doctor closed his eyes so did Darcia. A picture of the Doctor in his current form was lodged in her brain. Slowly and carefully she subtly changed his features and his clothes until the new image was complete. When she opened her eyes, an exact copy of the picture inside her head stood before her. Gone were the blue eyes, big ears and closely cropped hair. This new Doctor had a crown of shaggy ginger hair, wide brown eyes and smaller ears. His usual armour of leather jacket, black denim jeans and jumper had been replaced with a red casual open collar shirt and dark trousers.

Handing him a small compact mirror from her makeup bag she enquired, "So, Doctor, what do you think?"

"Hmm, not bad, not too bad at all, really," he replied just a little vainly. However he quickly snapped the compact mirror shut, ready to face what lay ahead.

He turned to Griff and addressed him in a slightly friendlier tone than earlier. "You would have seen that both Darcia and I were defenceless for a few minutes. You know you could have had the chance to escape back then but you didn't. Good man." Without waiting for Griff to answer him he continued in a firm but warm tone. "Let's go and find Rose."

The whole process of finding and entering the hotel which doubled as the auction house was surprisingly easy. Griff used his identification to gain access inside before he charmed the receptionist into letting him organise the paper work for this 'new' prospective buyer. Finally it was all done. Griff led them along a well lit passageway before stopping outside an ordinary white door.

The Doctor's hearts beat faster. Through the closed door he could hear Rose's troubled thoughts in his mind and wanted nothing more than to go to her and wrap her up in his arms, promising her everything was going to be okay.

As previously agreed, Griff went in first to advise Rose that a local buyer had arrived. The Doctor almost felt sorry for Griff as through the locked door drifted the sounds of one very angry Rose Tyler and although he could not make out the words, he smiled as he pictured exactly what she would look like.

"I think I'm going to like this Rose Tyler," said Darcia, interrupting his thoughts. "She certainly sounds like she can hold her own."

The Doctor gave a heartfelt laugh, the first since Rose had been taken from him this morning. "She certainly can at that and yeah, I do think you two would get on famously." Suddenly his face was sad again. "I wish I didn't have to go in disguise though. Just can't take the chance in case we get discovered. I'll not have her hurt."

Darcia could not help but feel just the tiniest amount of jealousy. Whatever the relationship between the Doctor and Rose it was certainly something special. One day she hoped to experience something similar herself.

"She'll be okay, Doctor. She's got you."

A genuine smile was on his lips. "Thank you Darcia. So … are you going to come in with me?"

"No, I'll wait out here, I think. Just remember, don't go more than three metres away from me. If you stay more or less near the door I should be able to keep up the illusion. Besides, someone still has to keep an eye on Griff 'though my gut instinct is that he will remain true."

At that moment Griff appeared, flying through the open door. There came a crack as something was thrown at the rapidly closing door followed by the tinkle of broken glass. Griff looked up at the Doctor, wishing he could ask him why he wanted this little hell cat back but seeing the storm brewing in the other man's eyes decided that he liked living. Instead he pointed to the door. "You can go in and see her now. When you've finished, hit the intercom that is located to the right of the door and you will be let out. Oh and just one more thing, she's un …" but the Doctor did not hear him as with great speed had already opened and walked through the door shutting it behind him.

Since forming the plan with Darcia and Griff earlier, the Doctor had thought of nothing except this one moment of seeing Rose again. There had not been anything in that plan though that had prepared him for the scene in front of him. His Rose, stood before him, wearing nothing but a stormy look and a pair of flimsy knickers.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Authors Notes: Well well, a couple of surprises in store for you all this chapter. Warning: There is some naughtiness in this chapter and while not explicit some passages are not suitable to be read around children. Chapter eight is in progress. I'll do my best to have it ready as soon as I can. Cheers and enjoy._**

_End of Chapter Six: His Rose stood before him, wearing nothing but a stormy look and a pair of flimsy knickers._

It had been a frustrating few hours for Rose. After Griff and Ert's departure she had searched thoroughly every inch of her prison, hoping to find the means to escape. It soon became clear that the only way out was through the front door and no amount of amateur lock picking was going to open it.

The next couple of hours had been spent making plans, working out ideas on how to try to overcome anyone who came through that door but as the time passed and nobody showed up, such ideas went by the wayside.

Eventually Rose resigned herself to the fact that she would have to wait for the Doctor to rescue her. It never crossed her mind that he would not come but as the seconds, minutes and then hours crept onwards she began to fear he might not make it before the auction closed or, even worse, before a local bidder claimed her.

She felt dirty, the dust from the Gwilgoloth markets still on her skin but there was no way she was going to strip to bathe. Griff had not said if there were cameras in the bathroom but she was not going to take the chance of giving everyone and anyone a show. Instead she washed her face, neck and arms with the warm water, an action that made her feel somewhat better until she spied the thin gauzy robe that she had been ordered to wear hanging up in the bathroom.

Her kidnappers had taken her away from everything she knew and loved. The clothes she wore were all that was left that truly belonged to her and she desperately wanted to rebel against having to lose them in favour of the robe. Common sense finally prevailed. It would not do to anger her enemy. Let them think that she was docile, that she had given up. Perhaps it might lull them into a false sense of security.

Once again she refused to undress out in the open. Instead she climbed under the bed covers, removing her outer garments. With some difficulty she managed to re-dress herself in the robe before climbing out from beneath the sheets.

The torturous waiting game started again. Every time her faith in the Doctor began to fade she would scold herself and fill her mind with images of him and of their adventures together. The one driving force behind all of it though was how much she loved him. But the fear was growing and the anger returned. When Griff arrived the white heat boiling over in her blood exploded.

Griff could not deliver his message quickly enough; the words tumbling from his lips, as he nervously commanded that she must disrobe as a local buyer was waiting outside.

Cursing him with every name under the sun, Rose picked up the nearest object, a colourful glass vase and threw it at Griff's head as he made his escape. It missed by mere inches, crashing into the door frame and sending glass everywhere. Fighting back tears she wrenched off the horrid robe and threw it on the bed. Her self pity lasted mere moments however as she forced herself to harness her anger. Instead of crippling her she used the powerful emotion to fuel her strength and resolve as she faced the front door, waiting patiently. She held one hand behind her back, the fingers wrapped around a large shard of glass. The ginger-haired man who entered next would leave wishing he had never met her.

The Doctor stood, rooted to the floor as he faced his companion. His usually brilliant mind had obviously decided to flee and it was a full minute before he realised his jaw was hanging somewhere down between his knees.

Rose was standing proud and strong in front of him, not bothering to hide her nakedness. In some ways her ire made her even more desirable. He could not help but notice the heaving of her breast or the life sparking in her eyes. Nor could he ignore the way her skin glowed under the soft lights of the room. _She's a goddess, _he thought, _beautiful even in anger. _It mattered little to him that her anger was concentrated on him. It was worth braving it just to see her like this.

Want, need, desire washed over him. He forgot everything - Griff, Darcia, the whole plan and whom he was supposed to be. He had thought her tempting this morning, wrapped only in her towel but now every nerve and fibre of his being was straining to reach out to her, calling him to claim her.

"Keep looking at me like that, mate and I'll slap you silly," declared Rose.

The Doctor swore under his breath as her threat slammed shut his moment of sentimental idiocy. How did one small human gain such power over an ancient being like himself? _Pull yourself together, you fool, _he chastised himself._ Rose is okay. Just follow the plan. _

As his wits returned he took several steps towards Rose, his single purpose to get this mockery of an inspection over and done with before completing the transaction.

Rose however had other ideas.

"I'd turn around and go back out that door now if I were you," she said, drawing herself up to full height.

Her fury increased when the man just smiled and continued shifting closer to her. Did he think she was bluffing and why the hell did he not talk?

The Doctor kept moving towards her. He was within touching distance now. A few more steps –

Rose suddenly pulled her hand out from behind her back revealing the pointed glass shard. She would not give in without a fight.

"You dare to touch me, I'll slit you from nose to navel," she threatened. "If you think I'm bluffing just try me. Believe me you'll regret it for the rest of your life, if you live long enough to do so."

The conviction in her voice was enough to make the Doctor take several steps back. Despite this, he felt distinctly proud of his precious Rose as she attempted to defend herself. Unfortunately her magnificent stand also meant that he could not get close to her to follow through with this inspection charade. He was also worried that Rose's behaviour might anger her kidnappers. He did not like to think of her in pain, if the micro chip was activated. For the hundredth time he wished he could speak to her but unfortunately Darcia's gift could not change one's voice.

He needed a diversion, one that would distract Rose momentarily so he could get the weapon away from her. It grated on him that he would be making her feel helpless but it had to be done. A brush of his hand against his pants pocket made him realise that while his clothes had changed the items inside were still there. Slipping his hand inside, his fingers closed around his trusty sonic screwdriver.

Rose was still verbally abusing him, calling him every name she could think of from pervy bastard to dirty old man. With his age now at a little over 900 years, she had no idea how close to the truth she was. She was just so beautiful. The sound of her voice however also drowned out the clicks and buzzes of the sonic in his pocket as he adjusted the screwdriver to a particular setting. This was one of those times that he was relieved he knew many of the settings by heart. Slightly turning the tool inside his pocket he directed it towards a glass fruit bowl situated on a table on one side of the room. The sonic pulse would shatter the bowl and hopefully attract Rose's attention for the short time he needed it too. It would also likely ruin the pocket of his pants or was that his jeans since it was all an illusion; he'd have to see later. It was of no importance now.

He flicked his finger on the button and suddenly there was an almighty crash as the fruit bowl exploded. Rose stopped mid rant and turned her head, her human curiosity getting the better of her. The Doctor took his chance and closed the distance between them. Using a martial arts move that he learned hundreds of years ago he managed without much pain to prise the shard from her hand. Another move had her back to his chest, one of his arms around her waist, the other just above her breast.

Rose gasped as she abruptly found herself disarmed and helpless in this stranger's arms. She struggled in vain but he seemed one step ahead of her in any tricks she attempted in her efforts to get free. Eventually tiredness and despair forced her to give in. She went limp against her captor's body, hot tears flooding her eyes. _Oh, Doctor, I tried so hard._

It was only then that she realised that the ginger haired man had still not spoken a word. Could he understand her? Hopefully, as begging was now her last resort.

"Please," she pleaded, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I shouldn't be here. I belong somewhere else … **with** someone else. He'll be looking for me."

The Doctor started at her words. She belonged with him. He had always known that but to hear her say it brought to his hearts warmth that he thought long lost. He turned her around to face him but he could not take his arms from her.

Rose for her part did not fight him even though to her he was a stranger. She hung her head, not daring to meet the brown eyes of this man.

"I have to get out, get back to him. He needs me and I need him. I don't know if you can understand me but please help me. If you ever cared about anyone, I'm begging you, please … please." The tears ran down her face and she could not speak anymore.

It was more than the Doctor could bear. Once again all intentions to bury his feelings were blown out of the water. Rose's tears were his undoing. With a gentle hand he raised her face to meet his own eyes. As he did so he heard her gasp.

When the stranger first raised his hand Rose thought he might strike her. Instead with gentle intent he lifted her head to meet his gaze. At his touch all fear, anger and sorrow suddenly left her, leaving in its wake only a feeling of serenity and peace. As she caught his eyes and really looked into them she gasped. They were old eyes, ancient and knowing, hinting of things that were, are and could be. She knew those eyes … C_ould it be? – but no that was impossible_. It was wishful thinking on her part.

Again she begged him to help her, but his fingers on her lips stilled her pleas as he caressed their softness. The fingers moved from her mouth to trace a line from her collar bone down to her shoulder. Soft gentle touches that confused her tired mind but at the same time made her want more.

Her brain was screaming at her to put an end to this farce but her body was betraying her. The stranger moved again but his fingers never ceased their pleasing exploration of her skin. They were travelling with blissful intent now across the tops of her shoulder blades and then with delicious slowness down the length of her spine.

She thought she had lost her mind altogether when the scent of leather invaded her senses. _Leather and grease oil_, she realised. _This is impossible. _But then she remembered his eyes and the gentleness with which he touched her. The touch was familiar. She felt it everyday when she reached out her hand. _And come to think of it, exactly how had that fruit bowl exploded. Sonic screwdriver?_ Rose decided to stop thinking. This was the Doctor, she was sure of it. Somehow, someway, looking like someone else he had come and apparently thrown off his inhibitions as well. Her heart burst with joy. With an audible sigh she leaned back into the body behind her content now to sink beneath the sensual waves of his caress.

The Doctor too was riding the heights of arousal. Gone were thoughts of plans, enemies and inspections. All that mattered right here, right now was Rose and how she made him feel. Reaching around her with both arms he drew her body even closer to him. Tentatively he caressed the skin of her belly and waist in slow circles gradually sweeping his hands higher until they almost touched the underside of her breast. At that moment Rose turned in his arms and to his surprise she kissed him hard. Before he had the chance to respond or come to his senses she drew back slightly to whisper just one word into his ear.

"Doctor."

His arms fell from her in shock, reality crashing in with a thunderous blow.

"_What the hell have I done?"_

Rose, his clever Rose had worked out who he was despite the disguise. If she could then who else might? Some stupid apes watching might think their display of affection was the result of experienced persuasion on his part but a smart person would put two and two together. Someone clever like the mysterious boss who knew Rose's history with him would certainly not be fooled.

He had to get out of here and complete this transaction fast. He did not dare look at Rose. She would be confused by his withdrawal from her, uncertain now about her conclusions. Perhaps it was for the best. He had let himself feel too much and gone too far along a course of action that he swore he would not. It had been wonderful but now his lapse of judgement, his selfish need had put them into more danger than before. Turning away from the love of his life he hurried towards the door, pressed the intercom button and sighed in relief as he was let out of the room almost immediately.

Rose's confusion and grief were as audible in his head as were the sounds of her sobs coming through the closed door. He wished he was the ginger-haired stranger who did not know her because at the moment he hated himself immensely.

"Doctor."

His silent berating of his own stupidity was interrupted by Darcia, her face a picture of compassion and concern.

"Rose, is she okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied but the look on his face and the tone in his voice said otherwise. "She recognised me, Darcia, how?

"Did you move more than three metres away from me?"

He thought hard, trying to remember if he had or not. Lost in the force that was Rose it was difficult to recall but he felt fairly certain that he had not stepped outside the limits of Darcia's gift.

"You didn't speak to her accidentally?"

"No."

Darcia looked thoughtful before a soft smile graced her lips. "I don't think I'm jumping to conclusions here, Doctor when I say I think you are in love with Rose and she is with you." As the Doctor's eyes widened, she continued. "I can only go by what you've told me and-" she said, now grinning madly, "- what you haven't said. When two people are as close as you and she seem to be then there is no hiding from one another, not even when one of you changes your whole appearance. Little gestures, intricate details will always be there. Rose wanted you so much, that despite the illusion, her heart recognised yours."

"Darcia, I …" His words trailed off into nothingness. This empathic little creature had hit the nail on its head and there was little he could say to refute the truth. He was given very little time however to dwell on the subject as Griff came bounding up to him, nervous tension evident in his every move.

"Doctor, something's up. I've been told that the boss wants to oversee the conclusion of this transaction. He never does that." He clutched the Doctor's shirt in one fist. "What are we going to do? What if he has found out about my helping you? My daughter, what if they do something to her?"

"Griff, get a grip on yourself, man," rebuked the Doctor. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling guilty. He knew whose fault it was for this turn of events and it was not the man who was holding on for dear life to his shirt.

Removing himself from Griff's grip he placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Look, you've helped us so I'll do my best to make sure this 'boss's wrath doesn't fall on you. I still need you, so no giving up, okay?

Griff let out a huge breath. "Okay!" he agreed.

A few minutes later they were all standing outside an ornate wooden door. There was an intercom just to the right of the door which Griff used to announce the arrival of the local buyers. Almost immediately they heard the snick of a lock opening, an invitation to enter.

The Doctor turned to Darcia. "I want you to come in with me to meet this man. Keep that camera rolling, because this'll be just about the most important footage you'll ever get."

Darcia grinned nervously up at him but she spoke confidently. "I'm ready, Doctor. You can count on me."

Leaning forward the Doctor kissed her forehead. "Thank you," he said gratefully. With a final nod to Griff, he and Darcia opened the door and shut it behind them.

The Doctor's eyes were immediately drawn to the beautifully carved ebony desk in the centre of the room. His blood boiled as he recognised the man seated behind it.

"Henry Van Statten!"

"Welcome, Doctor, how nice to see you again."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Authors Note: Well I didn't get to where I hoped to be with this chapter but I think there are clues enough for you all to guess what our villain has been up too. Oooh and what price for Rose? Sorry for the long time between postings. Real life and kids keep me rather busy and spare time of late has been short.**_

_End of Chapter Seven: _

_The Doctor's eyes were immediately drawn to the beautifully carved ebony desk in the centre of the room. His blood boiled as he recognised the man seated behind it. _

_"Henry Van Statten!"_

_"Welcome, Doctor, how nice to see you again."_

CHAPTER EIGHT

The tension in the room was so thick one could practically cut it with a knife. Forcing himself to calm the Doctor spoke.

"Can't really say the same," he said roughly. "Thought you were on a street somewhere in San Diego or Seattle or..."

"Sacramento," finished Henry.

"Yeah, or some other place beginning with S or so Diana Goddard said."

The gleam in Henry's eyes grew brighter.

"And I thought you were smart, Doctor. Do you really think that I'd be brainless enough to allow my creations to be used on me?"

Darcia watched the Doctor's eyes darken with what she could only describe as contained fury.

"That's rich," he barked. "This coming from a man who **refused** to believe that his little 'pet' was a dangerous murderer of all life forms until it was too late. Where were your brains then, Van Statten?"

Henry gulped once but to his credit appeared to remain unimpressed. Ignoring the Doctor's outburst he turned his leering smile on Darcia.

"And, who are you? Seems like our Doctor has quite a fondness for blondes. Are you one of his little companions too? Can't be very satisfying having to share him with the formidable Rose Tyler."

The look Darcia gave him would have withered any other man's enthusiasm in a heartbeat but not so Henry Van Statten.

"I like a woman with spirit and if you travel with the Doctor then you've got to have gall. Even geniuses get lonely … perhaps I could interest you in …,"

"Whatever you're thinking you can just forget it," interrupted Darcia hotly. Turning to the Doctor she asked, "Who is this idiot?"

Smirking a little at Darcia's rejection of Henry, the Doctor replied. "This, Darcia, is Henry Van Statten. Rose and I met him a few months ago. He was collecting rare alien artefacts. Even tried to collect me since I am the last of my race. To cut a long story short he found the last remaining Dalek, a species that I consider to be my nemesis. They are murderers and think nothing of committing genocide, wiping out whole species because they believe they are the only race worth survival."

"But it was magnificent," broke in Henry. "The prize of my collection. Besides I helped you stop it."

Blood rushed to the Doctor's brain as the anger boiling so close to the surface raised its ugly head. He did not shout but the venom in his voice was poison to Van Statten's show of resistance.

"Even after all this time you still can't accept what you did. All those people died because you wouldn't listen to me. And don't think I'll ever forgive you for what nearly happened to Rose-"

"You were the one who left her down there, Doctor. Don't go hanging all the guilt on me," said Henry defensively.

"Do you think I don't know that?" said the Doctor, the fight momentarily leaving him. "I've had to live with the fact that I nearly lost Rose every moment since then. But you, Van Statten, you left me with no choice. I had to sacrifice her or more people would have died. Even after all of that, she was the one in the end who saved us."

The ice in his veins was back as he continued to berate the man before him.

"You and your collection are nothing compared to her. I'm not in favour of violence but had I realised that day that you did not get your memory wiped I assure you, you would have felt the full extent of my wrath."

Henry though scared witless did not break completely under the Doctor's cold, steely stare. What was past could not be changed but in the present he still had a card to play. Gathering what little courage he had left, Henry confronted his enemy, an evil smile on his face.

"Yes, well I'm sure you're very frightening, Doctor, but don't forget I still hold the ace, or should I say the new prize of my collection. One Rose Tyler."

At the mention of her name the Doctor almost lost the last vestiges of control. Hues of black and red ran behind his eyes and it was all he could do not to let loose his rage on the man before him. Regardless of whether it would make him appear weak, he grasped Darcia's hand, using her strength to back down from the madness. He could deal with Van Statten later. Right now he had to save Rose.

There was still an underlying threat in his voice when he spoke to Henry again.

"I'm getting Rose back and then shutting down this whole operation. Do you understand?"

Henry just laughed as he directed his next words to Darcia.

"Is he like this when you travel? Always trying to be in control even when he's not?" He did not wait for an answer; instead he focused his attention on the Doctor once more, the sparks of an approaching victory evident in his eyes.

"You think I care about this silly little auction business? This is my coup, Doctor, my triumph. This whole scheme has been executed just for you. As soon as we're done I'm gone."

A memory of a conversation with Griff flashed through the Doctor's mind.

_I don't know who he is but he appears to know who you and Rose are._

Struggling to remain calm he questioned. "You can't have done this on your own, Van Statten. You're smart but not that smart. How did you know Rose and me would be here?"

Henry nodded as he spoke. "You're right, Doctor. I had help and if you play nice I might even tell you about it. As to getting you here … how could the well meaning Doctor turn away from slave trade rumours? The information was subtly planted though I admit not by me. My job was to capture Rose, knowing full well that you'd come looking though I admit-" he said in admiration, "-I am surprised at the whole total makeover. However did you accomplish that in such a short time?"

"I never reveal my age or the name of my plastic surgeon," muttered the Doctor.

Henry shrugged. "Well no matter because it really didn't help you any once Miss Tyler gave the game away. I rather think she wouldn't just kiss anyone so of course I knew it was you, no matter the disguise. Still it matters little to me what you look like. It won't affect the terms of sale or the price."

"So what are you asking for Rose?" questioned the Doctor impatiently. "I want her back and this farce had gone on long enough. How much do you want?"

Henry regarded him with interest for some time before answering. "You're really prepared to pay me to get Rose back?"

"He's already told you that or are you deaf?" jumped in Darcia furiously.

"Hush, Darcia," soothed the Doctor before answering Henry himself. "Yes, I'd give anything to rescue my friend."

An evil laugh lifted from Henry's throat. "Friend, such a trite word for Rose. Seems to me that there's a bit more than friendship going on between you two."

"That's none of your business," snapped the Doctor.

"Oh no, that's where you're quite wrong, Doctor. This is very much my business. You see **we** don't want your money for Rose."

"We?" queried the Doctor as he tried hard not to let his confusion show.

"That's right, we," repeated Henry. "Money is not the price here Doctor. We want something infinitely more precious and given your feelings for Miss Tyler I suspect you'll be willing to pay it," he finished smugly.

"Well since the other option is Rose being hurt I don't really have much choice do I? So come on then, out with it. I have lots of stuff more valuable than money right here in my pockets or is it technology you want. Might need a bit more time to round up that sort of thing but …"

Whatever he was going to say next disappeared as Henry opened up a desk drawer and withdrew from it a medium sized box. The Doctor's face paled and he shook slightly as he took in the concentric circles and glyphs carved into the item.

"Where did you get this?" he asked at length, his words shaking with emotion.

Henry was enjoying the fearful look on the Doctor's face. Not many men would have the power to make this being tremble.

"Tell me Doctor, since you were so good with that musical instrument back in Utah. What do you think this is?"

It took minutes for the Doctor to meet Henry's eyes.

"I … I don't know but it's from my home planet of Gallifrey," he finally admitted.

"Did I hear right," shouted Henry. "The great Time Lord doesn't know everything. Well let me enlighten you, Doctor. This box is a storage facility and has only one use."

"And what's that?"

"It strips and stores one future regeneration from a Time Lord. That, Doctor is the price you have to pay to get Rose back!"

The shock hit the Doctor so hard his knees nearly buckled beneath him.

"You're mad," he yelled. "Totally and utterly mad."

"Oh, no, Doctor. I'm not mad," remarked Henry with a sneer. "Just very well informed. You see I've done a lot of research since I last met you and with the help of … well let's say a colleague I am well aware of the Time Lord's aversion to dying. Quite the neat trick this regeneration business."

The Doctor tried to plead his case. "But you can't take away one of my lives. I don't know what that will do to me. Regeneration is hard enough; especially if you're forced to change, and believe me I've been there, but to be stripped of a life, a life I've yet to live … it's unprecedented. There must be some other way?"

His words however fell on deaf ears.

"You said you'd do anything Doctor. Does Rose Tyler mean so little to you? Come on Doctor. It's one of your remaining lives for her. From all I hear it's a bargain considering you have two or three more left."

The Doctor sat down in the nearest chair, the pressure of the moment overwhelming him. Immediately Darcia was by his side placing her hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort. The look she gave him however was of complete confusion.

"Doctor, what's going on? What's he talking about. This regeneration; I don't understand."

He looked up at her, sadness in his eyes because he knew he should not answer her questions.

"I … it's a long story, Darcia. I know you're curious but now is not the time to discuss this. Everything will be fine," he lied, hoping that she would take the hint and discontinue this line of questioning. He should have known better.

"I'm not stupid," she replied harshly. "I saw the way you reacted, Doctor. Whatever this regeneration thing is, you're afraid of what this man is asking of you. I don't want to be the one accountable to Rose if something goes wrong."

The Doctor closed his eyes and sighed loudly.

"Darcia, I haven't even told Rose what regeneration is. If anyone deserves to know first, it's her but this process is a bit different. Time Lords don't die. If I'm hurt badly enough every cell in my body changes and I become a different person. Sort of how you can change your features with your gift except my change is permanent or at least until the next time I regenerate."

"But …"

"Just listen, okay! Regeneration can be a bit of a dodgy process **but** that's not what's going to happen here. From what I understand this piece of technology won't make me regenerate. Instead it's going to strip away one of my remaining lives and store it." He paused for a moment to beckon Darcia closer before speaking again in a much lower tone. "Once you lift the illusion, I'll still look like I did this morning."

Darcia however was still not satisfied. "But you don't know if there will be any side effects to this do you?"

"No. I've never heard of it being done before yet that box is Time Lord technology. I have to trust that it won't injure or kill me."

"So, she's worth it then?"

The Doctor showed no hesitation before giving her an answer.

"I wish it didn't have to be like this but yes, Rose is worth losing a life for."


	9. Chapter 9

__

**Authors Note: Okay fairly lengthy chapter in this one. If you're familiar with the classic Who then you may recognise the small bits of the story line I've borrowed from one of the fifth doctor episodes and the erm artistic licence I've used to incorporate it as part of this storyline. For those who aren't familiar I'll add a note at the bottom of this chapter. Oh and a warning. This chapter is very wibbley wobbley, timey whimey. Enjoy.**

**Chapter summary: We get to hear Henry's side of the story and what actually happened to him at the end of 'Dalek'**

_End of Chapter Eight: _

"_I wish it didn't have to be like this but yes, Rose is worth losing a life for."_

"I thought you'd see it my way," said Henry as he neared the Doctor's side. "Are we agreed on the conditions then, one of your future lives for Rose's freedom?"

A chill passed through Henry's body as the Doctor fixed his ice cold stare upon him before answering.

"I will give up a life **but** I want two things in return," he demanded.

"You still trying to be Lord of the Manor, Doctor?" sneered Henry. "You seem to forget who is in charge here. Still, I'm feeling generous today so tell me what you want."

"I don't want Rose to be alone. Have one of your staff take Darcia down to her. She-"

"Doctor, no," broke in Darcia but a quick shake of his head cut short any protest she was about to make.

"Darcia, just go, please. Right now Rose is scared and upset. I need you to let her know that she's safe. You've done all you can to help me. You can't do any more so be there for Rose until I can," he said softly.

Darcia nodded and the Doctor sighed in relief. He knew once she left him he would revert back to his original form but that mattered little now. She had captured more than enough data to shut down this set up for good but the turn of events to come must not be recorded. He turned his attention to Henry once more.

"Will you let her go, Van Statten?"

Henry sat back in his chair obviously weighing up the pros and cons of such a request. Eventually he appeared to make a decision and pulled out a small device from the breast pocket of his suit.

"This, Doctor is the digital code book that holds the key to destroying the nanites inside Miss Tyler's body. If Miss Tyler does anything stupid I have but to press a button and your precious Rose will be dead."

His attention then turned to Darcia, his 'I hold the cards' smirk wide across his face. "You appear to be a smart woman so I'm sure you won't give me a reason to use this."

There were so many things Darcia wanted to say to deflate this man's ego but to her credit she kept quiet. When Henry realised he was not going to goad her into a reaction he chuckled lightly.

"Well then, since there's not going to be any witty repartee I'll get the agent to take you to see Miss Tyler."

He pressed the intercom button on his desk and within two minutes Griff opened the door and walked into the room.

"You wanted me sir?" he asked.

The Doctor was pleased to hear him speak relatively calmly. They needed no slip ups now. The stakes for Rose were too high.

"Yes, I want you to accompany Miss Darcia down to Rose Tyler's room. Watch them carefully. The sale is not yet complete so ensure that they don't cause trouble."

"Yes, sir," complied Griff obediently before turning towards the door with Darcia in tow.

"What, no little messages for the love of your life, Doctor?" taunted Henry.

An urge to wring Van Statten's neck was the Doctor's first thought but he resisted the notion in favour of providing Rose with some instructions as to what should happen next. His brain worked overtime as he sought to come up with a message that would sound normal but would have his clever girl picking up on the hidden details. Suddenly the face of Jackie Tyler supplanted itself into his mind. Normally he would be horrified for allowing himself to think of the witch but right now she was the catalyst of a good idea. Smiling slightly to himself he related his message to Darcia.

The smile dropped after Darcia and Griff left the room leaving the Doctor and Henry alone.

"Have to say Doctor, I'm a little disappointed. Such boring messages to send to the woman you love."

"What Rose and I have to say to each other is our business, Van Statten. Now what I want to hear is how you came about knowing so much about the Time Lords and me."

"Ah, yes, your other condition. It's a long story, Doctor. I thought you were in a hurry to get Miss Tyler back and shut down this operation?" queried Henry.

"I **will** get Rose back and close down your business, that's true but you told me yourself you don't care about any of that. Once you've got my future life you're home free. Got a ship docked somewhere or a transmat beam handy, courtesy of your 'silent' partner?"

An amused laugh lifted from Henry's throat.

"Partner may be a bit too strong. I'm the one pulling the strings but to answer your question yes I have a way to get out at a moments notice. Want to see it?" Not waiting for an answer he pulled from his desk draw a device that he then strapped onto his wrist.

"Vortex manipulator! Amazing little piece of technology. Lets me go anywhere, anyplace, anytime. You aren't the only one who can travel now, Doctor," he boasted.

Suddenly his smile faded and a look of disbelief spread across his face. Before his very eyes the Doctor's image was changing. Within a minute the ginger-haired man in the red shirt and black trousers was gone leaving in its stead the familiar face of the man he'd seen arrive on Gwilgoloth earlier that morning.

"Well, well, Doctor," said Henry clearly impressed. "I show you a vortex manipulator and you upstage me with this little stunt. That another Time Lord trick?"

"No."

"Aw, is that all I'm going to get?

"Yes."

"Pity, it was a good piece of subterfuge. It got you inside after all, so kudos to you for that. Still it makes me disinclined to continue on with the rest of my story if you won't share information," rebuked Henry.

The Doctor's patience was wearing thin. It was only the thought of Rose that kept him from causing any harm to the man before him.

"Van Statten, I'll let you in on a secret. This box you hold and your knowledge of Time Lords can only have come from one source and that's another Time Lord. And if that's the case then you are definitely not the one pulling the strings.

"I rather think I would know if I'm in control -"

"But this vortex manipulator," continued the Doctor as if Henry had not spoken. "It's not Gallifreyan science. I heard these were being used by the Time Agency though I've never seen the device up close. Where did you get this from or rather who did you get it from?" he asked, his curiosity now overshadowing his initial ire.

"You're right, Doctor. This I got from a Time Agent."

"And what did you do to the Agent to get hold of your own personal time and space hopper. Cause their death too?" spat the Doctor bitterly.

"Oh, No. The owner of this trinket is alive and well. You mentioned her earlier actually."

The Doctor's mind promptly back tracked through all conversations held since he entered this room and as he settled on the answer he gasped the name out loud.

"Diana."

"Yes, exactly, Diana Goddard," confirmed Henry. "Seems like the Time Agency also heard about my little collection and sent Diana in to infiltrate and spy on me. Of course after the events with the Dalek she deemed me a liability and ordered my mind to be wiped."

"Well we know what a non event that was now, don't we?" retorted the Doctor sarcastically. "How did you do it by the way?"

"Easy, really. Like I said earlier no genius would be dumb enough to let their own machines work against them. When I built the memory eraser I programmed into it my own DNA codes. That way if the machine was ever used on me-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. The computer would recognise your genetic make up and refuse to work. All right, so you escaped the mind wiping. What happened then?"

Henry placed the time travel device back down on the desk before seating himself back in his chair again. He chuckled briefly before continuing his story.

"To be honest I wasn't sure what she was going to do to me but after one look at her face I knew she'd figured out what had happened and was clearly impressed. Then she told me she could use a mind like mine during her missions. Asked me to come with her so we could explore the universes together and-"

"In other words she gave you the option of going with her or she would have to dispose of you unpleasantly some other way," broke in the Doctor, clearly seeing through Henry's distortion of the truth.

Henry sighed in exasperation. "I think I liked you better the first time we met, Doctor but yes, okay there was no choice. I didn't want to die so I went with her and just for the record I did prove myself worthy several times. Even saved her life once thanks to some quick thinking. Oh, the things I saw, Doctor," he said, his eyes lighting up at the memory. "They were amazing." Suddenly though the eager gleam vanished. "Along with the good I saw an equal amount of horror. Things I wish I'd never seen or heard. Things that made my collection in Utah seem safe."

He paused momentarily to look the Doctor directly in the eye.

"I think you understand what I'm talking about though, don't you? There's always a penalty to be paid. Still-" he brightened, his cocksure confidence returning to the fore, "that's the way of life isn't it and speaking of prices due, don't you think you ought to pay yours?"

"What? Think I'm going to have the local cavalry storm in at the last minute before you've collected," sneered the Doctor. "I've said I will give up a regeneration, Van Statten and I'll keep my promise. Rose can't go anywhere till she's free of the nanites so come on, indulge the interests of this old alien and finish the story."

Henry rose from his chair and began to pace around the room.

"Well, I suppose it can't hurt to tell you the rest. Diana and I travelled for quite a while through time and space. However she was getting bored with the missions from the Time Agency so every now and then would go searching for some freelance work. They were usually quick and dangerous jobs and it was all very hush hush but she seemed to enjoy the extra excitement and I admit so did I. We managed to accumulate quite a large amount of money together and I think she started to trust me." Henry smiled. "It was Diana who got me this vortex manipulator although I guess she doesn't quite trust me fully yet because she sets the co-ordinates on it and I can't change it, not that I haven't tried, of course."

"I'm sure your little adventures with Diana through time and space were fun but you still haven't told me how you came to meet a Time Lord and don't bother to deny that you haven't," said the Doctor, his patience fast wearing out again.

"I'm getting to it," protested Henry. "Diana and I were enjoying the hospitality of one of the pleasure planets on the Outer Linox system when her vortex manipulator started to receive a faint SOS signal. It appeared to be coming from the planet Xeriphas."

As the planets name left Henry's lips the Doctor bolted upright in his chair.

"Xeriphas," he repeated in a clearly shocked voice.

"Yes, that's what I-"

"When? I mean what year was it?" growled the Doctor.

"I hardly think it matters what-" started Henry but seeing the no nonsense look in the Doctor's eyes quickly continued to give an answer. "I don't know. I think I remember Diana saying something about the early 1980's."

Rising from his chair the Doctor began to pace about the room, muttering fiercely under his breath, the consternation clearly showing on his face.

Henry watched him with interest but could not help but flinch a little when the Time Lord turned to face him again.

"What happened Van Statten when you got to the planet?"

"I really don't know, Doctor. Only Diana could tell you that. She left me on the pleasure planet, stating that she would return and she did but she didn't come back via the manipulator and she wasn't alone."

"What did they look like?" demanded the Doctor as he continued to wear a path back and forth across the room.

"What does all this matter?" queried Henry impatiently.

"Just tell me!"

"Fine, he was quite tall, had brown hair, moustache and a short beard. He looked like he'd bought his clothes from some Regency out of date op shop but his eyes, yes I remember those very well. When he looked at you it was if he could see right through to your very soul," finished Henry softly.

"And was there anyone else with him?" queried the Doctor.

Henry nodded.

"Yes he had some sort of android or robot with him."

The Doctor stopped pacing for a moment, a sad smile adorning his face.

"Ah, yes Kamelion," he murmured almost to himself before shaking off the memory of the lost android. Kamelion was gone, along with so many others of his companions. There was nothing he could do for them now. He had to stay in the present to make sure he didn't lose the most important companion of all; his Rose.

He stopped his pacing and returned back to his chair. With a heavy sigh he began to speak.

"Van Statten, I know who it is that Diana rescued. He calls himself the Master. I often wondered how he managed to escape from Xeriphas. Now I know. So what happened? Did you and Diana start working for him?"

The other man eyed the Doctor curiously for a few minutes before resuming the rest of the tale.

"To be honest I initially wanted to get as far away from that man as possible but Diana seemed enamoured with him and he really didn't give us any reason to mistrust him. He appeared to be quite grateful for the rescue although evasive about his reasons for being stuck on the planet. I don't suppose you'd care to share why he was there?" he asked hopefully.

The Doctor shook his head. "It's a long story Henry and I'd rather not dig up the past even if it seems not to be done with me. So what happened next? How did you get from rescuing the Master to being here on Gwilgoloth presiding over the biggest slave auction in the universe?"

"We travelled together for a while. His space ship or TARDIS as he called it was a more luxurious option to the gut wrenching side effects of the vortex manipulators. After a while the Master and Diana got quite chummy and he appeared to confide in her. Perhaps he found her attractive, I mean I always found her quite beautiful or perhaps he was interested in her skills as a Time Agent but eventually he found out about Utah, the Dalek and ..."

"Me," uttered the Doctor wearily.

"Oh, yes," confirmed Henry. "We had quite the chat and he was very sympathetic about the loss of my artefacts in Utah. That's when he showed me pieces of his own collection. Things he had taken from Gallifrey including the box for storing future regenerations. He told me quite a few things about the history between you and him and about the Time Lords. Talk about eye opening conversation."

He fixed a hateful stare at the man opposite him.

"You humiliated and ruined me, Doctor but the Master; he helped me see what I needed to do. I had built up a dynasty, a collection beyond price and now it's gone thanks to you. So today I'm returning the favour. I'm taking something from you, your regeneration, something precious that money can't buy," he finished aggressively.

The Doctor however appeared to be unphased although inwardly he was scared as hell.

"Van Statten," he began coldly. "You have no idea what the Master is capable of. Don't you see he that he's using your grievance as a chance to attack me? That is the only reason that he would use his power and resources to help you construct this whole scheme."

Henry snickered in defiance.

"You're wrong, Doctor. It was my plan, my scheming. Oh, I'm sure there is no doubt that my success here today will please him no end but this is all about me and you and my reward," he boasted.

"Reward?" questioned the Doctor suspiciously. "What has he promised you?"

Smirking madly Henry answered him. "Not that it's any of your business once you have given up the life but the Master has promised to use your regeneration to extend my own life span."

The Doctor's two fists slamming down on the desktop wiped away the smile on Henry's lips.

"You're a complete fool, Van Statten if you think for one moment that the Master is going to give you that life. Whatever he's said to you about this is a lie. Humans and Time Lords are too different. Giving you this life is just not possible. You'll be as good as dead the instant you return."

"No," shouted Henry. "You're wrong. Besides Diana wouldn't let him do that."

The Doctor shook his head. Stupid, stupid apes. Even the cleverest of them was obviously an idiot. The time for games was over. Ruthlessly he pushed on.

"You think you're indispensable to him? You forget how well I know the Master. Companions are no more than toys to him. Toys that he loves to play with until they are no longer useful or until he gets bored with them. Once you bring my regeneration back to him your usefulness is over. Diana, with her Time Agency connections will probably fare better but don't trick yourself into thinking that she'll protect you. She'll look after her own interests and go where the power is and that lies with the Master."

"Then what would you have me do, Doctor?" screamed Henry in a voice that was at least an octave higher than normal.

"Stop this now," suggested the Doctor. "Release Rose and hand yourself over to the authorities. Do the right thing and take responsibility for what you have done."

"No."

"What?"

Henry stood behind his desk, fury written all over his face.

"I said no! I won't spend the rest of my life in some prison where my talents will suffocate while my body eventually withers and dies."

"So you're going to take the chance that the Master is either telling the truth or is feeling generous about letting you live on your return then?" said the Doctor, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's a chance I'm willing to take, Doctor. I can't be locked up. Not when I've seen what's out there. There is so much I want to do and with an extra life I'll be able to do it. Don't worry about me, Doctor. I'll make the Master see how much he needs me," replied Henry arrogantly.

Sadly, the Doctor nodded his head.

"Then I say it again, Van Statten. You are a fool. Everything that happens from the moment you leave here will be your own fault."

"Well then," retorted Henry. "We had better not keep Lady Fate waiting then should we? The time for talk is over, Doctor. I believe you have a debt to pay."

As he spoke he pulled the box decorated with the Gallifreyan designs into the middle of the desk.

"Right, now you're going to put both your hands on top of the box and keep them there. Just remember I've still got the code book right here so any problems from you means a very painful death for Miss Tyler," threatened Henry.

The Doctor could barely contain the snarl that left his lips in reaction to Henrys taunt.

"Let's get this done so we can part ways, Van Statten," he growled before placing his hands on the box.

Immediately he felt a tingling sensation in his palms that grew stronger until it was almost painful. Golden light sprang forth from between his fingers, spreading across his hands and slowly curling its way up his arms. He felt like his whole body was burning and he wanted to howl at the invasion of it all. The pain intensified and it took everything in him not to scream out his agony.

"Oh, by the way," sneered Henry from in front of him. "This might hurt a bit."

Far away in the Time Vortex, Diana Goddard received a signal on her Vortex Manipulator.

"Have you news for me, my dear Diana?" asked the Master from behind her.

Diana started. She had not heard him approach but quickly overcame her shock to answer him.

"Yes, Master. It appears that Henry has started collecting the regenerations of the Time Lord."

"Excellent," replied the Master. "I knew that human girl called Rose would be his downfall the minute you told me about her. His love for the Earthlings has always been his greatest weakness." His evil laugh rang out. "Henry has that fool thinking he's giving up just one future form but the box will keep draining him of his regenerations until it's full. If the Doctor is lucky, he may have at least one more life left or perhaps none at all. I wonder what that will do to him? How delightful it will be to find out!

Stroking his beard, he gave another dark chuckle before leaving the room.

Additional Notes: References to the Planet Xeriphas are taken from a fifth Doctor episode called Time Flight and featured the Master played by Anthony Ainley. At the end of the episode the Master was stuck on Xeriphas. I am not familiar with classic Who so could be wrong but there appeared to be no real explanation as to how the Master got away from the planet before his next encounter with the fifth doctor in the episode The Kings Demon. In that episode the Master has Kamelion with him whom he says he brought with him from Xeriphas. Therefore I have used a little artistic licence to have Diana Goddard and Henry Van Statten rescue the Master which of course gives him a shot at hurting severely a Doctor from the future.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author Notes: It's been almost a year since I updated this fic. I'm very sorry. The plot bunny keeps getting more complicated and my time to write so much less this last twelve months. I will finish it eventually and appreciate the emails I've received encouraging me to keep going with this fic. Thanks for hanging in there with me so far._**

If hell existed then the Doctor was sure he was slowly descending through it with no end in sight. There were no outward signs of the intense, endless pain that shot through his body with lightning speed. The regeneration energy flowed from his body into the box below his hands, the flood washing away his self-healing powers along with the simple ability to just move. His time sense was dulled and the time strings normally so sharp in his inner sight were now faded and indistinct. Through the haze of his pain he could hear someone laughing but he couldn't think clearly as to who it could be. Fighting his way through the pain he struggled to regain some sense of reason but only one face floated up from his dark inner depths. He cried out a name just once, "**Rose," **before succumbing to the agonising torment again.

Rose paced back and forth across the floor of the hotel room that served as her prison. Never in her life had she felt so confused; not even during her relationship with Jimmy Stone had she ever experienced the momentous battle that now raged between her head and her heart.

It had been some time since the ginger-haired buyer had left her alone but her heart was convinced that he had not been some stranger but her own beloved Doctor. Thinking back, she remembered his hands, a different finger shape but still the same familiar touch. If that had not been enough to persuade her, his eyes would have; nothing could hide the ancient knowledge and experience she'd seen in their depths. The gut instinct that she had come to rely upon whilst travelling with the Doctor agreed with her heart and every beat called his name.

Why then must her head argue against the case? Her brain told her that this could not be him. It was impossible to become a whole new person and that she was seeing the stranger as the Doctor because she wanted so much for it to be him. Fresh tears grazed her cheeks; she wiped them away with the sleeve of the gauzy robe she had slipped back on her thin form. She stopped her weary pacing and moved towards the velvet-covered windows. Pushing a plush panel aside she strained to see something of the outside world through the dark tinted panes.

_Why would it be impossible? _she asked herself. _After all it's not like he's told you much about himself and he is alien. He looks human but that doesn't mean he's like you. For all you know he could change form at the drop of a hat. _

She released the curtain allowing it to fall back across the window. She raised one hand and rubbed it against her temple. She was exhausted and the drama of the day had left her with an intense headache. Her confusion was not helping the situation either. Slowly she walked towards the bed and collapsed upon it. As she closed her eyes, her mind drifted back once again to the sweet caresses the Doctor had bestowed upon her. She was determined to believe it was him. His touch had been loving gestures, full of longing and bursting with the gratification of finally giving in. It was clear that at least for a moment he had let himself feel the emotions that until today had been carefully locked away except for those brief glimpses she occasionally caught when he thought she wasn't looking. The pleasure of those memories were short lived however as she also recalled the moment he'd pulled away from her. The panic and fear that had been evident in his eyes after her kiss made her heart twist painfully in her chest. It was clearly obvious to her that he had realised his mistake and was regretful of his actions. Why else would he have left the room with such speed? Tears once again threatened to fall but she ferociously blinked them back. She mentally scolded herself. This was not the time to think about that. _No more crying. You need to stay strong and positive and believe that it was him and that he is coming for you. _

She rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom where she washed her face with several splashes of cool water. As she re-entered the other room she heard voices outside her door and her pulse quickened as she recognised the turn of the key in the lock. Rose was halfway to the door when it opened and a very nervous-looking Griff appeared.

"What do you want?" growled Rose. "Expecting me to strip off again for another dirty old man?"

He did not answer her straight away. Instead he moved to a panel that Rose had not noticed hidden behind one section of the heavy drapes and pushed a few buttons.

"What are you doing?"

As he finished he turned to face her. "I'm turning off the cameras. There's a transaction happening right now for you so all other bidders are no longer allowed to keep viewing."

Rose was almost afraid to ask the question but she did so shakily. "Was … was it the local buyer who bought me?"

"Yes," answered Griff, though he wished he could relieve her fears by telling her a lot more. Very soon he would be able to do more but he needed to wait till until he knew the deal was done. In the meantime Darcia would be able to help the girl. "I've brought someone to see you," he said roughly. Walking back towards the door he opened it and exited the room.

Rose's heart was in her mouth as she stood there waiting for him to return. Now she would find out if her instincts were true. Finally she would see if the stranger had been her Doctor or not. Anticipation quickly turned to disappointment as Griff returned closely followed by a blonde-haired woman. "Rose, this is Darcia. She's come to talk to you." He moved back towards the entrance but to Rose's surprise he did not leave this time. Wondering what on earth was going on she turned back to face her new visitor only to be greeted by a warm genuine smile and the words, "Hello Rose. It's good to see you again."

Rose's initial disappointment at her visitor not being the Doctor quickly disappeared, blind anger quickly taking its place. "Is this a joke?" she demanded, directing her question to Griff before looking back at Darcia once more. "What do you mean 'nice to meet you again?' I've never seen you before in my life, lady. Who are you?"

Darcia did not appear to be phased by Rose's outburst one bit. "I'm Darcia and I'm with the buyer who came to see you earlier."

Rose's heart nearly ripped in two at the other woman's words. So she had been wrong. The man had not been the Doctor and it had all been wishful thinking on her part.

Darcia, seeing the anguish on Rose's face quickly spoke again. "That man is the Doctor, Rose. He is the one who has bought you. He sent me here to be with you until the sale is complete. And you have met me before but I did not look like this. We met this morning in the ladies' bathroom just before you were taken. When the Doctor came rushing to the rescue you had already gone but he asked me for my help."

"But … oh I am so confused. I remember this morning but how can you look one way and then another?"

"I'm afraid this isn't the place to explain it in detail, but I have a gift that lets me change form. Furthermore I used that gift on the Doctor so that we could get in here unchallenged. That's why he looks different."

Hope was rising in Rose's heart but her head still refused to believe the things she was being told.

"How do I know you are telling me the truth?" she ventured to ask.

Darcia laughed softly before replying. "He said you'd argue so he told me something to tell you should this very conversation occur."

"What was it?" said Rose, her voice so low it came out as a whisper, so frightened was she that this turn of events might all be a dream.

"He said 'tell Rose I only take the best.'"

It was evident to Darcia that these words held special meaning for the woman before her. Rose's dejected expression vanished replaced by a brilliant smile and overbright eyes that flooded with tears of joy. She suddenly found herself pulled into a fierce hug as Rose embraced her, crying out her relief on her shoulder. "Oh my God, it's really him. It's him, the Doctor. Oh thank you. Thank you."

Eventually Rose stepped back, her face flaming with embarrassment over her lack of control. "I'm sorry about that. Just I've been so worried and confused."

"Its fine," soothed Darcia. "No need to apologise. Given the circumstances I'd probably have needed a shoulder to cry on as well."

"Well thanks again, anyway."

"You're welcome, Rose."

"So, you're really able to change your form and other people's as well?"

"Yes, I can. Like I said it's a special gift."

"Guess I don't have to worry about the Doctor changing his form on me whenever it suits him then."

Darcia flinched inwardly remembering the Doctor's reluctant words about regeneration. Seconds later she put the thought to the back of her mind. It was not her place to mention it. "We just need to sit tight for a bit and then you'll be free."

"Where is the Doctor, now and what's the deal with him?" asked Rose gesturing towards Griff as she did so.

"He's securing your release," said Darcia knowing she was avoiding giving the real answer. It had been obvious to her that the Doctor had not wanted Rose to know about the price he was to pay for her freedom. Though she thought the woman before her ought to know the full truth she held it back, honouring the Doctor's unspoken wishes. Instead she turned her attention to Griff and answered Rose's second question. "He's on our side. Seems he's a criminal with a conscience though there may have been a threat or two that made him come over to our way of thinking. Your Doctor is very persuasive."

Rose grinned briefly. "Oh yes. I pity anyone who ticks off the Doctor. He has the most beautiful hearts in the world but he's scary as hell when he's angry."

Darcia could well believe it.

"Darcia," began Rose in a small voice. "Did the Doctor tell you anything else? Did he give you any other messages for me?" After the way he had touched her she was hoping for something more.

Her new friend smiled sadly. "I think the kind of messages you're hoping for Rose would sound more sincere coming from the Doctor himself but he did ask me to relate something else to you. I should have mentioned it straight away but quite frankly it slipped my mind because it seemed such a strange thing to say given what was going on."

"What was it?"

"He said that your mother called this morning and gave him an earful. He said you ought to move her from J for Jackie to S for slapper and that she'd get on very well with someone else who was under S on your phone." Noting Rose's look of surprise, Darcia continued. "I'm hoping that his words make more sense to you."

The stunned look on Rose's face quickly disappeared, replaced by thoughtful countenance. "It's a message Darcia. He's trying to tell me something. Who else is on my phone? There's my best mate Shireen, oh and Sarah's Salon and a couple more that wouldn't be what he's getting at." _Who am I supposed to contact?_ _Who is it Doctor?_

She continued running silently through her phone list in her head, focussed on the S's. One name triggered a flash of memories - the Shadow Proclamation. She remembered vividly her first encounter with the Doctor and his world of danger and adventure – the walking mannequins, running for her life and the battle with the Nestene Consciousness that ended with the Doctor programming the intergalactic number for the Shadow Proclamation into her super phone in the case that she or he would ever need it. She bit down hard on her bottom lip as she contemplated what he was asking of her. He'd insisted that contacting the mysterious organisation would only be something he'd do in the direst emergency. Apparently now was one of those times.

"Got it," yelled Rose, causing Darcia to startle. "I need my phone. He wants me to call for help." She marched over to Griff and stood in front of him, hands planted on her hips. "You took all my stuff when you kidnapped me. Show me where it is … **now**!"

Her captor had the decency to look a little scared of the feisty woman in front of him but he still managed to utter, "I can't."

Rose would have argued but Darcia stepped in to defend Griff. "He's telling the truth, Rose. Henry said …"

"Henry? Who the hell is he?"

"Henry van Statten, Rose. The Doctor said you've met him before. It's him that's in charge."

If Rose looked angry before there was no mistaking the expression of fury on her face now. "I'm gonna kill …" She stopped speaking but her eyes continued to show the flashing of irate emotion that consumed her.

"Rose," spoke Darcia gently. "There's more. You've got something inside you. Nanites, I think they were called?" She looked to Griff, who gave her a brief nod. He continued the story for her. "We spiked your drink at the café. I'm sorry but if you attempt to leave here and are seen Mr Van Statten can activate the nanites inside you to cause great pain and even kill you. If you just wait a bit more the transaction will be over and he'll deactivate them so they'll be harmless."

"And what happens then? Does Henry get to go on his merry way? I can't be the only one he's done this to. Don't you see? The Doctor knows these people who can help. He explained to me that they are sort of like police except they're universal law enforcement and a bit tougher apparently. If I can get my phone I can call them and they'll stop all of this," she pleaded.

"I can't let you go," he repeated softly, "but I can do it." Looking at Darcia he sighed. "The camera in here is no longer working but the ones elsewhere are. You both need to stay here until I return. Fortunately, Amy, the receptionist at the front desk, is fond of me so I can probably get her to give me your things but it will be difficult to avoid the other cameras. I just hope that I can pull it off without the boss finding out."

Darcia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You'll do it, Griff and make your daughter proud."

"After what I've done I'm not sure she would be but at least I can try to make up for it," he said with a bittersweet smile before exiting the room.

As he left, Rose immediately asked Darcia to tell her everything that had happened since she'd been kidnapped. Although wondering how she would get around the last part of the tale Darcia agreed. She wove an elaborate story that perhaps embellished the truth a little, trying to postpone the inevitable ending and hoping that Griff would return before she reached it. As it was she did not know the whole story and had no intention of fuelling Rose's desire to leave and do something foolhardy. As luck or fate or whatever happened, their co-conspirator re-entered the room just before the payment part of the story came up. Darcia let out a huge sigh of relief as she saw him.

Rose was already talking to Griff as she joined them and watched as he pulled out the phone from his pocket. "Well that went better than expected but I had to stall one colleague who was looking for Ert. Here, this what you were after?" he asked. "We don't have those but I'm seen things similar."

"Yes," uttered Rose as she took the phone from him. She started to dial but Griff stopped her. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" she fumed.

"Hang on a moment. If you call them now and they arrive before the transactions finished you could still be killed but if you wait 'til I get the signal from the boss that the nanites are deactivated and then phone this Shadow lot you'd be free …"

"And Henry would be gone. I can't let that happen. I've got to do it, no matter the risk to me. The Doctor's counting on me and I won't let him down."

_You have no idea how much, _thought Darcia as she watched the exchange between the two.

Finally Griff backed down. "Okay, we do it your way but show me how to use this thing and I'll make the call. That way if things go wrong it won't be traced back to you. Besides I don't want the Doctor hunting me for eternity if you died."

Rose huffed loudly, reluctantly handing her phone to the man before her. "I've never had to talk to the Shadow Proclamation before," she said, "but I'm hoping that since they are supposed to be a type of law enforcement, their communications might be similar. The point is to just stay calm and tell them about the slave auctions and about Henry Van Statten. Don't mention me and especially don't mention the Doctor." Griff looked at her confused so she explained in more detail. "The Doctor doesn't like to draw attention to himself. He'd rather just let them handle Henry and if these auctions have been going on for a while then I've no doubt the Shadow Proclamation will definitely be interested in whoever is involved."

"But what about me?" gulped Griff. "The Doctor promised that he'd speak with the local authorities about me. Said I could be near my daughter if I helped."

"I don't know," replied Rose honestly, "but I am sure that he'll do his best to keep his promise. You'll just have to trust him. Do you still want to help?"

Griff nodded. The Doctor and Darcia had trusted him, now it was his turn to return the favour. He dialled the number and spoke. As it turned out it was not difficult apart from his initial dialling of the wrong number which resulted in him speaking with an alien pizza delivery service. However his error caused all three of them to laugh and break somewhat the horrid tension that seemed to stifle the air around them. Dialling again, Griff was thankful to find that Rose's assumptions about the similarities of technology proved to be right. The mention of Henry Van Statten's name did indeed cause some excitement on the other end of the line and he was forced to wait for a few minutes before he was put through to someone who he assumed was in a more 'senior' position to the first person, being, whatever he had talked to. He could not help trembling as he ended the call, wondering what in the galaxy he had just done. "They're on their way," he confirmed.

"Good, let's get out of here," urged Rose.

"No. You can't leave this room until I get the signal that you're safe." Griff saw she was all set to argue further with him but while he admired her fighting spirit he also could not let her go into danger now. "We've done what the Doctor asked, Rose. Let this Shadow Proclamation do its job."

"He's right," agreed Darcia. "The Doctor wouldn't want you to get hurt. I'm sure it won't be long before the transaction is finished." She prayed this was the case. Whatever the taking of the Doctor's future life involved she hoped it would be over soon. Rose would not be patient much longer.

Rose wanted to protest further but she did not have the strength to fight anymore. Wearily she walked to the bed and sank down upon it. "Fine, we stay but the second you get that signal I want to go straight to the Doctor."

Silence filled the room as they settled down to wait.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Vortex:

Diana was getting ready for bed when the Master entered her room. As always when he was near her heart pounded wildly in both fear and anticipation. He was a good lover but he could also be cruel and she wondered nervously what mood he was in tonight. Gentle it seemed as he let her embrace him as he kissed her softly. She tried not to be disappointed however when he pulled away from her.

"I'm not staying tonight, my dear. I've decided to use the Vortex Manipulator and go to Gwilgoloth and see how things are going there. The readings tell me that the box is almost full and it will release the Doctor very shortly. I want to be there when that happens and I don't trust that fool Van Statten to do things correctly."

"You … you still mean to get rid of him then?" stammered Diana.

"Yes, he's becoming a liability. Too power hungry and ambitious and I'm afraid there is only room for one of us to be like that on my ship. Don't tell me you're sad, Diana? You used him just as much as I did," he taunted. "It's not like you were in love with him or anything."

"No, but he could be useful and he did save my life once or twice."

"You humans and emotions. You put too much stock in them. Everything has it's time and everything ends. Even you and I, eventually. Oh don't worry my dear, I promise not to kill you, unless you betray me of course. I could not be responsible for my actions if that were to happen." He caught her hand as she took a nervous step back from him. "You'd never give me a reason to do that though would you, Diana?" he said silkily as his hand travelled up her arm across her exposed throat to finally rest against the softness of her flushed cheek. "You wouldn't, would you?" he repeated as his fingers caressed her lips.

She knew the dangers but still she whispered fervently back to him, "No. I wouldn't betray you, Master. I love you."

"As it should be, my dear. As it should be." With one final kiss he moved towards the door. Before exiting he turned his charming smile on her once more. "I'm feeling quite generous today. Perhaps I won't kill Van Statten after all."


	11. Chapter 11

In a grandiose bedroom attached to his office, Henry Van Statten was hastily packing. Though he still blamed the Doctor for ruining him, Henry could not deny that in the incident with the Dalek, the man, along with Rose, had also saved his life. The Doctor may have taken his collection away from him and made him feel less then the genius he was but not once had he lied to him during that encounter. Through the thick walls of his bedroom he could still hear the tortured cries of his enemy as the strange box continued to do what it was designed for. The noise shouldn't have unsettled him but to his surprise it did, and far more than it should have.

The Doctor's words about the Master rattled inside Henry's mind. Being the smart man that he was, Henry knew he'd been played. Though he had grown fond of Diana, he realised that she was completely in the thrall of the Master. Again the Doctor had been right when he'd said that she would no longer ally herself with him when the power lay elsewhere. As another scream sounded from the other room, Henry winced. There was nothing he could do to help the Doctor except to send the nanite release codes through to his agent to set Rose free. She had proved herself a resourceful woman in the past. He was certain she'd be able to help the Doctor. As to the box, well he'd take that with him rather than let the Master get his hands on it. The promised regeneration had sounded so tempting but Henry decided he wanted nothing more to do with it. It was better to have one free life then live an extended existence as the Master's plaything, knowing that he would certainly be killed when the Master eventually grew bored with him. He shivered at the thought and resumed his packing. It was definitely time to leave.

**1234567890**

The Doctor had long since lost any traces of conscious thought as the regeneration energy continued to flow from him into the box beneath his hands. With the last of his reason he forced his mind to shut down, effectively placing himself into a self induced trance, hoping that someone would bring him out of it when this ordeal by fire was over.

**1234567890**

"Doctor!"

A voice sounded in the blackness surrounding him. Although it was soft he resented the intrusion into the safe cocoon he had made for himself. Why could he not have a moment's rest? Perhaps it was all a dream and if he just ignored the voice it would go away. It was the sensation of something warm being thrown around his shoulders and a less than gentle shake that finally made him realise that he had not been dreaming. He opened his eyes and took in the fuzzy vision of a woman standing over him.

"Doctor, it's Darcia. I've been trying to wake you for ages. Are you all right?"

"Darcia?" questioned the Doctor as he struggled to regain full consciousness.

"Yes! You need to wake up now. Rose needs you and the Shadow Proclamation is coming just as you ordered."

It was the mention of his hearts desire that released the flood of suppressed memory. His head throbbed painfully as he remembered the day's events - losing Rose, finding Henry and the subsequent price he'd paid to get his girl back. The furrow in his brow deepened as he remembered the agony he had endured. Something had gone seriously wrong with the collection of his future regeneration. There would be no other explanation for why he was feeling so weak or the amount of pain he had suffered.

"Doctor, please?"

The sound of his name penetrated his thoughts and he forced himself to rise unsteadily from the chair where he'd slumped. "How is Rose?" he asked wearily.

"Feisty," Darcia said with a smile. "She's still down in the hotel room with Griff. Henry sent him the release codes so he's starting the process to destroy those things inside her. Not that Rose wanted to wait. It was all I could do to convince her to stay a little longer. I think she was ready to fight both Griff and me to get to you."

Despite his exhaustion the Doctor managed a tiny smile. "That's my girl," he muttered, pride swelling his hearts at the knowledge that Rose was still fighting. He could only imagine what she would be like once she found out about Henry, if she hadn't already. Thinking about his enemy made him realise that Van Statten was no longer in the room. Despair rose in him as he briefly wondered if Henry and the box containing his regenerations were already out of reach. One quick glance at the desk allayed that fear. The Gallifreyan item which had been the source of so much recent pain was still there. Now if only he could work out a way to unlock the box and reverse the damage done to him.

"Doctor?"

"Darcia, go back to Rose and do what you can to help Griff deactivate the nanites. I need to find Henry. I have to give him one last chance to turn himself in." He looked at her expectantly but of course she had to argue.

"You're still too ill," chided Darcia gently. "Look at you. You can barely stand. I can't leave you here alone."

"No! I want you with Rose," he responded firmly, though his whole body trembled with the effort of staying upright. "Besides, you'll be safer down there. The Shadow Proclamation is not to be trifled with." With shaking hands he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the psychic paper. "Here, take this. The Shadow Proclamation gets the job done but they aren't overly bright. You've already got your camera and your own reporter identification but if you need to, just show them this. The paper's psychic so you can make them see what you want them to. In this case think about Rose and Griff as reporters too and the paper will show their credentials. Most importantly, just do as they say. You've been fantastic but please just listen to me a while longer. They'll be after Henry so if you don't try anything stupid, you'll be okay." He paused for a moment to sigh loudly. "The hardest part will be getting Rose to agree but you have to persuade her to wait a bit longer. I suspect that the full deactivation of the nanites might take a good while anyway so that should buy you some time."

Darcia fought down her instinct to argue further. "Alright but I can tell you now, Rose won't like it."

The Doctor smiled tiredly once more. "She'll fuss and moan about it, I've no doubt. But I'll be here when you all come back once it's over."

"You think you'll find Henry before he leaves? What if he's already gone?"

"I'll find him," he replied. "Or he'll come to me. Being who he is he'll want to see if I'm conscious again and have the last word. After having a hand in the demise of his little empire last time we met he won't be able to leave without bragging about how he's equalled the score." He sighed briefly before continuing. "In fact I'm counting on that very part of his nature. Besides," he said gesturing towards the box. He won't be leaving without this. Now you must go, Darcia. When it's safe I'll see all three of you back here. Just remember what I said."

"I will," Darcia acknowledged. With a final "Goodbye" and "Be careful" she exited the room. The moment she was gone the Doctor's overtaxed body finally betrayed him. His legs gave way and he gratefully sank once more into the chair. Despite his fatigue he was fairly confident that Henry would want to crow about his achievements. At least he hoped he was right because he had barely enough energy to sit up, let alone go on a hunt for Van Statten.

**1234567890**

Henry caught the tip of his pointer finger in the suitcase as he shut it, causing him to swear loudly. Not all that long ago he would have had minions to deal with such a boring job as packing. Or if he'd been caught somewhere he'd simply buy new things with no thought to the cost. That all changed of course after his cosy world was shattered in Utah - and there was only one man to blame for that.

As his thoughts turned towards the Doctor Henry realised that the screaming had stopped from the other room. He walked to the bedroom door and opened it just wide enough to peer through. The Time Lord sat slumped in the chair, eyes closed as if asleep or more likely unconscious. Henry watched him for some time, all the while debating on whether it was wise to approach, but he had to if he wanted to take the box with him. After watching for several minutes in which time there was no movement from the Doctor, Henry made up his mind. With slow, silent, cautious steps he moved towards the desk, his eyes firmly fixed on his enemy. He was just thinking he was going to get away with it when the Doctor opened his eyes.

"Didn't think you'd go without saying goodbye."

Henry started but quickly regained his composure. "Don't flatter yourself, Doctor. Why would I care about you? I simply came to collect my prize."

The Doctor however saw through his false bravado. "You've been thinking about what I said haven't you? About the Master and his empty promises." Searching Henry's eyes, he could see he was right. "Yes, I know you have."

"Yes, damn you," Henry growled. "What is it with Time Lords and messing up lives? Helping you when it suits then and turning on you when the game gets boring. Perhaps it's a good thing your race died out," he finished with a snarl.

Wearily the Doctor answered. "The Time Lords were certainly meddlers but this has nothing to do with them. Only the Master would do this to you. Though you find it hard to accept, I've done nothing but try to help you so don't lump me in the same lot as him." Gathering his strength the Doctor stood up. Softly he said, "I'm still trying to help you. Leave this box in my care. Give yourself up to the authorities. Pay for what you've done."

But Henry could not let go of the bitterness he felt towards the man in front of him. "I'm not going to use your regeneration life, Doctor, but there will be no forgive and forget. You took something from me and now I have taken something important to you. The score is even." He tapped the top of the box with his fingers. "I'm taking this with me. Perhaps I'll study it or maybe I'll sell it to the highest bidder since I've recently acquired a great deal of experience in marketing to select customers. But one thing is certain - you will never see me or this box again."

The contempt in Henry's voice and his refusal to listen now ended the Doctor's honourable attempts to persuade him to do the right thing. "Never say never, Van Statten. Believe me I would find you but you have worse things to fear."

Henry sneered. "And what would that be? The Master? If so I think I can-"

His reply was abruptly cut off by a commotion of yelling, low guttural voices and booted feet sounding in the corridors beyond the office door. With a nervous glance Henry looked at the Doctor. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded. "I thought you said no law enforcement?"

The Doctor gave a laugh but it held no joy. "I said there'd be no local involvement. I didn't promise anything about intergalactic police. But actually I didn't call them. Rose did with a bit of help from your employee, Griff. Seems you just can't trust anyone these days, can you? You've been a naughty boy, Henry Van Statten. I'd say right now there are about a hundred or so Judoon looking for you and believe me they will not be as forgiving as I am."

"Oh my God," squeaked Henry, his face showing quite clearly he had heard of this special task force. In panic he picked up the box and ran quickly towards a bookcase in his office and began searching frantically for the button which would open up a secret passageway.

Despite the Doctor's fatigue he managed enough speed to reach Henry's side. In all honesty he knew he cared more about the box then the other man's life but he tried once more to convince Van Statten to change his mind. "Listen to me, Henry. What sort of life will you have on the run? You're a wanted man and even if you escape the Judoon, do you think the Master will give up on you so easily?"

The sound of heavy boots grew closer. The Doctor knew they were just outside the office. "Don't be a fool, Van Statten," he pleaded as he grabbed the other man's arm.

Henry reacted violently to the nearing sounds of his captors and panicking, threw the box across the room. He lashed out at his enemy, his uppercut colliding painfully with the Doctor's chin. Normally such a blow would only stun a Time Lord but in his weakened state the carelessly aimed hit knocked out the Doctor. He fell to the ground just as the Judoon broke through the office door. There was no time for Henry to retrieve the box without being seen, so with a final curse he hurried down the passageway.

He dashed down corridors and around corners, his speed fuelled by a combination of adrenaline and fear. As he ran, his brain was also clicking along as he furiously tried to work out what action to take. Without his Vortex Manipulator he could not just disappear. But there were other ways to get off this planet and luckily he had a few favours he could call in from a dedicated customer or two. Henry smirked. He was a genius and he was going to outwit them all. He broke out into uncontrollable laughter, the sound echoing through the passageways as he ran.

He knew the exit was near. Just a few more seconds and then he could disappear but as he rounded the final blind corner a hand shot out. It gripped him around the neck before slamming him into the nearest wall. One glance at the owner of the hand made Henry quake with fear.

"Leaving the party so soon, my dear friend?" purred the Master. His eyes narrowed as he realised that Henry's hands were empty. "And it seems you've forgotten my present. Now that makes me very sad." He increased his pressure on Henry's neck, feeling the audible gulp as his Adam's apple rapidly bobbed up and down. "Where is the box, Henry?"

Instead of cowering, Henry gathered his courage. "I left the box behind. You tricked me, Master. Everything you said was a lie."

Instantly the hand around his throat let go but Henry still felt like he was pinned against the wall by the Master's piercing stare. "And who told you all this? The Doctor! Henry, you are a soft minded fool indeed for listening to him. Have I not told you that he and I are enemies? Did I not give you all you required to capture him and his human companion?"

"You did but it was all for you. Never for me. Your promises of an extended life are untrue. He told me it can't be done and much as I hate to admit it, I believe him. He might be my enemy but I can see now he never lied to me. You on the other hand, Master, twisted things to suit yourself."

The Master responded with a sarcastic laugh. "So he never lied to you? Did he bother to inform you that the Judoon out there are not authorised to kill you. They cannot find you guilty and punish you with death." At Henry's startled look, he laughed again. "No, I can see he didn't. I saw them land and recognised the insignia on their ship. The aliens looking for you are hired by The Shadow Proclamation and they are under orders to take you back to stand trial." The Master paused for a moment to let this new information sink in before continuing. "You humans, all of you so very stupid. Simple minded fools."

The Master's final statement was enough to reignite the fire inside Henry. He'd had enough of being called a fool today. "Time Lords may think they are gods but it doesn't mean that the rest of us are idiots," he raged. "First him, now you calling me a fool. I'm Henry Van Statten, the smartest man on Planet Earth and a few more galaxies besides. You won't pull my strings any longer. If Diana still dances to your tune then leave me be and go play with her. I'll be no one's puppet."

"Well then," hissed the Master. "It seems I have no further use for you. A pity because Diana seems rather fond of you. I did plan to let you live but I cannot have anyone on board who will not bend to my will."

Henry trembled as the Master reached for him. He knew he was a dead man but he would not give the other man the pleasure of hearing him beg. As he waited for the hand of death to descend, the corridor was suddenly filled with bellowing, snorting Judoon soldiers. Henry heard the Master say something in a strange, rhythmic language he did not understand but it was apparent that his enemy did not appreciate the interruption. The respite gave him time to collect his thoughts. With a sudden shove he pushed the surprised Master away from him and began running towards the waiting Judoon soldiers. "I'm the one you've been looking for," he yelled as he approached them. As they led him away he knew that his death might still be imminent but at least he was choosing it on his terms. But perhaps if he proved himself useful in providing information about his buyers he might escape dying all together. He would survive someway, somehow. He was a genius after all.

The Master although slightly annoyed at the loss of his kill quickly put any further thoughts of Van Statten from his mind. The simpleton was gone and there would be no competition for the Gallifreyan box containing the Doctor's future lives. Using his psychic powers he quickly convinced the waiting dim witted Judoon constables to go about their business before heading back the way Henry had come.

It was not long before he reached the secret door that led to the office and with a quick search, again found the box. His delight heightened when he saw the unconscious Doctor lying on the floor before him. Despite the changes brought on by several regenerations it was always possible for one Time Lord to recognise another. The Master reached down to pick up the box before approaching his old nemesis.

"And here I was hoping for some stimulating conversation," he cooed softly although he knew the Doctor couldn't hear him. "Guess we'll have to do it the traditional way then." The Master put the box down on the table then went back to the Doctor. Using all his strength he dragged the man to the nearest wall and managed to prop him up against it. Crouching down in front of him the Master raised his hands to the other Time Lord's temples and forced himself inside his mind.

_He found the Doctor curled up in a little ball trying to shield himself from the pain while murmuring 'Rose, Rose, Rose' over and over again._

"_That's not my name, Doctor."_

_The Doctor lifted his head, his face pale and drawn. Shock registered in his eyes as he recognised the man in front of him. "Master!"_

"_So you still remember me. Good! After you banished me to Xeriphas I thought you might have forgotten my existence. My, how you've changed since we last met. I have to say this soldier look does not become you. What happened to the charming cricket whites and celery? "_

_The Doctor glowered at him, refusing to answer._

_The Master continued his chiding. "Well, it hardly matters since I'm going to destroy you, Doctor. I could not believe my luck when Henry and dear Diana came to my rescue and then to find out of all things that they had met you. What a wonderful chance I had been given to be rid of you once and for all. But then I thought that was too easy. Making you suffer would bring me more satisfaction. Your lovely Rose - and she is quite beautiful, Doctor - proved such effective bait in this scheme I organised for Henry. When he told me of your emotions for this woman, I knew you would do whatever was necessary to get her back. You nothing if not predictable, foolish, Doctor. Humans were always your favourites but to fall in love with one…" He paused to sigh dramatically, "… such a stupid thing to do." _

_His words brought the light back into the Doctor's eyes. "Rose is worth it," he spat back. "I would die for her."_

"_Is that what you want, Doctor? To die for love?" The Master's voice now took on a jeering tone. "Will it make up for the loss of all those other lives you've taken? Henry told me about the Dalek and how you failed to destroy it. What about all those others you've failed to save in your past regenerations? Have there been more since?" The pain in the Doctor's eyes was evidence enough that there had been. _

"_Many of those deaths could not be avoided," said the Doctor eventually, with great sadness in his tone. "I tried to save them but other forces were at work and you yourself had a great hand in many of the lives lost. They slipped through my grasp even as I tried to stop you."_

"_Yes, you might foil my plans or banish me but you'll never stop me," laughed the Master harshly. "Time and time again I find ways to test you but what's been done today will likely be your biggest challenge yet."_

"_What do you mean? What have you done?"_

"_I think you already know the answer to that?"_

"_You stole more than just one future life."_

_The Master gave a sound of delight. "Never has a Time Lord been stripped of future lives before so I really don't know what the impact will be on you. But when I read your mind I can see already that your healing is taking far longer than normal. Almost at the rate of a mere human. You're also having trouble putting up barriers to protect your thoughts. I should not have been able to get in so easily even with you being unconscious. It boggles the mind to think what else may be happening."_

"_I will stop you," seethed the Doctor. "You'll not leave here with that box."_

_The Master cackled in glee. "And how will you stop me when you are so pathetically feeble. Such false bravado will not save you, Doctor. I could reach out now and crush your mind with one snap of my fingers and you would be powerless to stop me." _

"_Then what are you waiting for?"_

"_Because I think I want to watch you suffer for a while as you deal with the consequences of what you've given up for love. How will this affect what you feel for Rose? Have you succumbed to the delights of the flesh, my dear Doctor? If not, you should. Diana is such comfort to me but only because I choose to let her. Perhaps your control will not be so well guarded. With only one or perhaps no lives left who knows what primitive thoughts will come calling?"_

"_Enough," roared the Doctor. "Kill me and end this torture or get out of my mind. I will not be lured into further conversation with you any more."_

_The Master stepped back. "You are regaining some strength but nowhere near your usual amount. Much as I am tempted I won't kill you this time. But since I also can't have you stopping me …" With a psychic jolt he made the crippled Doctor howl with pain, forcing him to retreat back into himself to heal further. With a dark smile the Master slid from his mind._

Picking up the box from the table, the Master turned around to exit the room only to have his path blocked by a woman who seemed somewhat familiar, brandishing a rather impressive looking weapon.


End file.
